


Food is our language of love

by LivingInABox



Series: Ban and Hoji's space-famous marriage [1]
Category: Super Sentai Series, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
Genre: 10 Years After Special, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Related, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magiranger Crossover, Self-Indulgent, Space Squad Gavan Crossover, Team as Family, Weddings, food related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 26,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24785242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivingInABox/pseuds/LivingInABox
Summary: Ban gets reacquainted with Earth’s food and Hoji’s wallet suffers some. Ban disagrees.Or: Off screen Ban and Hoji moments throughout the show.--“Doesn't it just feel like we’re going to be the best duo in Deka’s history, partner!” Ban patted his back, warm hand splaying on top of his shirt and staying for far too long.“Oh, now you’ve taken it too far. And don’t call me partner.” Hoji shook his head.--Tiếng Việt
Relationships: Akaza "Ban" Banban & Aira "Tetsu" Tekkan, Akaza "Ban" Banban/Tomasu "Hoji" Houji
Series: Ban and Hoji's space-famous marriage [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863793
Comments: 14
Kudos: 16





	1. 2 Robo Impact

**Author's Note:**

> Short Ban/Hoji nonsense while I’m rewatching Dekaranger. Self-indulgent bc who's gonna read Deka in 2020 except for me? 
> 
> I also didn’t plan for this at all. I just missed food in Japan, okay. Some are what I personally have had, some are what I want to eat. If I get anything wrong, please don’t kill me. Beware you might get cavities by the end of this.
> 
> Anyway, I just wrote and hoped it made sense, some are better than others hahaha if you read, please enjoy and let me know what you think!

Episode Summary: Earth Branch got a new member, and Sen landed a date.

**1.2 Robo Impact + Yakitori (1040)**

Everything about Ban grated at Hoji.

Starting with the blatant favoritism from Boss to his overly boisterous presence and loudmouth--how were they supposed to follow a guy who won’t even listen to command? Or the plan of his teammate for that matter. 

In the back of his head, Hoji added that it was _his_ plan, a plan that was supposed to be flawless as always until Ban disregarded it like it was nothing.

The rational part of his mind would argue that everything had ended up fine anyway--the case was closed, and they deleted Don Moyaida and stopped earth from being turned to rubble--but still, like fingernails on chalkboard, Ban grated at Hoji. 

And even as Hoji sat, fuming and glaring, trying to figure out how to relieve such irritation, his dining companion paid no notice and enthusiastically called out enough food for the both of them. None of them were Hoji’s favorite.

“Lighten up, partner.” Ban, in his faux leather shirt and now rolled up sleeves, clang his draft beer at Hoji’s tea cup with a big obnoxious smile. “It’s my treat! It’s been so long since I had Earth’s food, don’t hold back, help yourself!” 

Hoji picked up a skewer of grilled chicken skin, trying to not cringe his nose in distaste and thinking about all the calories he had to work off after eating such unhealthy food. 

He was ready to end the long day with a date; how did he end up at an izakaya off-base with the new Red anyway. It must have been from the shock at seeing the usually shy Sen-chan wooing the cute office lady with suave. 

It was a waste of opportunity, Hoji sighed. He ended up eating the skewer anyway. It was annoyingly delicious. 

“Don’t call me partner until you can follow orders,” Hoji said.

“I can follow orders just fine.” Ban was rapidly making his way through his fifth skewer and second beer. “Why don’t you give it a rest already? I already said I’m sorry!”

Hoji scoffed. They were Special Police. Sorry didn’t solve crime or protect citizens from snipers or accomplish anything as a matter of fact. He didn’t dignify that with a response. 

“Besides, it wasn’t my fault my SP License wasn’t hooked into the system then.” Ban scowled, prompting a side glance from Hoji because he didn’t know that. “Didn’t realize there was a plan and everything. I saw an enemy shooting at y’all, and where I’m from, when someone shoots at you, you shoot back!

“Also why are you Earth Deka so unfriendly, didn’t even lower the defense barrier when you guys knew I was coming! You should be saying sorry to me!” 

“You wish.” Hoji rolled his eyes.

Swan-san had tons on her plate, if their new Red didn’t learn to navigate this planet's nooks and crannies on his own, he might as well pack his bag now.

It wasn't that hard to get in, especially with how Alienizers basically waltzing through it all the time with their new tech. Hoji won't be the one to criticize Headquarters’ mechanics, however. 

On a side note, Hoji was slightly mortified at his mind for considering Ban ‘theirs’ already. 

To be fair, Ban proved to be a competent Ranger. He just wasn’t up to Hoji’s standard of a field leader. Not when he was so impulsive, impossibly pigheaded and so childish with lips protrude to a pout even as he wolfed down more chicken. 

Thankfully, their team didn’t care much for the ‘Red was the leader’ ideology, and had a system going: follow the lead of the member that made the most sense. Or bureaucratic wise, the one with the most seniority, him.

It worked out fine for them even when Umeko joined. Hoji just wasn’t sure what Boss had in mind when he recruited Ban and dreaded the upcoming changes. 

“Look, you obviously don’t like me.” That was an understatement. “But let’s put our personal feelings aside and work together, okay? Criminals aren’t going to wait around for us to sort out our differences.”

Hoji lifted an eyebrow because Ban almost sounded mature if it wasn't for his continuous petulant tone. He was right, of course, but Hoji wasn’t going to admit it out loud. 

“I’ll try not to go too crazy in your presence.” Ban raised his glass. “You’ll try to loosen up that cool perfect guy act." He didn't let Hoji interrupt and continued on. "And we’ll compromise like professionals or whatever that you’re so gung-ho over, deal?” 

Hoji was debating on rebuking Ban on his word choices, but they were squeezed beside each other on counter seating, meaning he received the full brunt of Ban’s enthusiastic declaration and shining eyes from only a foot away, and it was hard to say no just for the sake of it. 

As if he was taking too long to answer, Ban wiggled his glass impatiently until Hoji finally knocked his teacup against it. Another grin lit up on Ban’s face, making him appear way younger than the number on his file.

“Fine,” Hoji sighed at last. “No promise though, your brand of stupidity needs to be kept in check sometimes.” He could already tell that the others weren’t going to do anything about it, and it fell to Hoji because he was responsible like that, okay.

“I think you mean courage and passion--”

“No.”

“But it’s kinda fun, you know, I’m like burning and explosion!” Ban clenched his fist for effect. “And you’re like cool and collected.” Here he flicked his hair in a failed imitation of Hoji. “So we’re totally complementary to each other--”

“Uh-huh.” Hoji hid the involuntary quirk of his lip behind the tea cup.

“Doesn't it just feel like we’re going to be the best duo in Deka’s history, partner!” Ban patted his back, warm hand splaying on top of his shirt and staying for far too long.

“Oh, now you’ve taken it too far. And don’t call me partner.” Hoji shook his head. 

Ban smiled. “Nah, I don’t listen to people who drink tea with yakitori, a slightly unhinged one, aren’t you?”

Groaning, he shoved at Ban’s shoulder only to get laughter in response. 


	2. 4 Cyber Dive

EpSum: Hoji made a careless mistake in a kidnapping case.

**2.4 Cyber Dive + Sushi (865)**

It was only when Ban finally ceased his juvenile of an assault that Hoji realized they were by themselves in Erika’s yard, abandoned by teammates and royal aliens alike. 

He thought there might have been a dinner invitation in between Ban’s annoying kiai, but facing the family they just protected after being roped into acting like a couple of five-year olds? How about no. 

Ban draped a heavy arm over his shoulders and directed a too cheerful grin at him, as if he wasn’t throwing reduced-speed haymakers and uppercuts at Hoji moments before. “So, we’re alone.”

If Hoji could respond to everything Ban said by rolling his eyes, he would. It just wasn’t worth the effort anymore.

“Nope. You’re alone. I’m leaving.” Hoji lifted the box that contained the Wellness stone. 

The sooner they get it to the Deka vault, the better it was for everyone. Besides, he could probably find something near base for dinner. Hoji shrugged Ban off.

“Or we could grab sushi and you can pay!” Ban insisted, pattering beside Hoji and his long strides, all the way to where they had parked their patrol vehicles. 

Hoji spared Ban a dry look and straddled his bike. “Why would I do that?”

“You owe me, why else?” Ban harrumphed, hands on his hip and lips already poking out in Ban’s own signature of indignation, which had the effect of a barking puppy. 

Staring too long at it made Hoji have some undesirable thoughts that weren’t to be named. Because recognizing it meant he was giving it validity, which meant he was likely to act upon it, which didn’t bode well for anybody. 

“I paid last time! And I knocked you out of your need to wallow in self-pity, I think that means I deserve food!”

“I wasn’t wallowing in self-pity!”

“Were so!” 

Hoji answered in the most reasonable way for men of their ages: he pulled on his helmet and flicked the visor shut in front of Ban’s face. Then he snapped the bike’s kickstand backward with a foot and roared the engine with a twist of wrist to drown out Ban’s last minute miff. 

“Run while you can! You still owe me food!” 

Hoji drew away from the lot, chuckling to himself as Ban’s screaming was getting farther and farther by the second. 

“Partner, I'll be back soon, so don’t leave base without me, you hear?!”

That was the last of it as wind whipped around him.

Although, in the privacy of his own head, he did feel somewhat thankful to the Red.

Hoji didn’t get caught in his insecurity often, not with the confidence he meticulously built on competency and experience over the years. But when he did, it only meant getting out of it was one of the harder battles. 

And Ban didn't even rub Hoji's previous declaration of perfect record back into his face. Which was nicer than what Hoji would have done if it was Ban who made the mistake. 

Anyway, the stone was safe and secured soon enough. If Hoji took extra time to fill out reports and enter them into the system, then it wasn’t because he was waiting.

As soon as he finished all work matters, Hoji changed out of his uniform and grabbed his black coat from the rack beside his door, ready to wind down for the day.

The door hissed open to reveal Ban on the opposite wall, looming in his own civvies with arms crossed. He sported a washed out jeans jacket and a painfully-bright red shirt that had Hoji turned his attention away immediately. 

“You’ve better not used the emergency signal to get back here.” It wasn’t exactly a dismissal, so Ban followed him again.

“No, but I left Jasmine to catch a ride in Machine Bull. If she asks, you had an emergency that needed me.” 

“No way,” Hoji remarked in English. “You shouldn't tick off Jasmine, she’s even scarier than Boss.” Then he was making his way outside and shrugging into his coat, still not looking at Ban. 

Looking meant admitting that he was actually doing _this_. Taking Ban out.

“Well, it’s your fault for ditching me anyway,” Ban huffed out a breath, but didn’t say much more when Hoji failed to take the bait. He only trailed after Hoji like a duckling, an unusually quiet pouting duckling.

It wasn’t as if Ban could coerce Hoji into doing anything he didn’t want, really. If Hoji told him to back off seriously, he was sure Ban would leave it, and it will never come to light that they--hung out--tolerated each other’s companies after hours.

But here he was, convinced by sheer persistence and a tad of secret gratefulness. 

Hoji wanted to say that Ban was almost bearable when he talked less, but in reality, it was rather uncomfortable, so Hoji cleared his throat.

“Sushi, you said?”

Ban lost his pout instantaneously. 

“Yeah! I craved Sushiro ever since I got shipped out to Chambeena! Let me tell you, they had to import sushi from Earth and it was even more expensive than Kobe beef, it’s crazy!” 

Well, Hoji was glad it was only sushi and not high-grade meat.


	3. 11 Pride Sniper

EpSum: Hoji’s old buddy crash-landed on Earth.

**3.11 Pride Sniper + Ramen (1341)**

He should have known.

Amnesia, a nonexistent criminal, interplanetary communication blackout, everything screamed _wrong_.

Normally, Hoji would have called for a thorough investigation just from Jasmine’s concern--she was the ESPer and she knew what she was talking about. But all he did was letting emotions and the past clouded his judgement.

Hoji was in charge and he had, once again, added another item to his recent list of failures. The Boss could have been dead, and his blood would have been on Hoji’s hand. 

He let his team down for a criminal who sold his soul for money. He was disappointed in Vino, but more so, he was disappointed in himself for feeling any kind of remorse over the entire thing.

Deleting Vino was the right thing to do, and Hoji shouldn’t feel bad about it; he was upholding the law.

Still, there was a bitter aftertaste from carrying out an execution on the man who had meant something, who had pushed him to be the best and influenced his Deka career, his sense of justice. 

They won today’s battle, but Hoji felt the loss of his friend intensely, not unlike the time Vino had gone MIA. He had to wonder if he had failed Vino, too, somehow, back then, for him to turn to the dark side. What was the point of becoming a Deka when he couldn’t even save one man from himself?

“Hey, why did you become Special Police?” Hoji asked the person lurking behind him. He heaved in another lung of cool air in the night and turned away from the railing just as Ban stepped out from the shadow.

“You know I was there?” Ban smiled sheepishly. 

“Subtlety isn’t your strong point.” Hoji crossed his arm and leaned against the guardrail again as Ban took his spot beside him. He was standing too close.

“Here, for you,” Ban said, pushing onto Hoji a bottle of green tea he was carrying. He opened a can of Strong Zero for himself, sipping it with content. They were technically off duty, uniform or not.

The tea was cool and tangy and strangely unsatisfying in comparison to the alcohol Ban was holding. Hoji had a startling idea to take it out of Ban's hand for a sip, but he didn’t move. 

“My mom,” Ban said, his arm pressed a warm line against Hoji’s. “She died in an Alienizer attack, my entire neighborhood was wiped out actually, I was at cram school and lucked out...I had some extended family, but it was just easier, you know, to enroll in the Academy after that.”

Ban was speaking, but his eyes were seeing something entirely different than blinking lights of the city. “I wanted to protect her, but I couldn’t. So now I’m going to protect other people from Alienizers,” he smiled at Hoji like it was the simplest thing ever.

Hoji wanted to prod because there were a lot of things unlisted in his file, personal history was a chunk of it. 

“But I kinda failed anyway, and a kid died in my arms--” at that, he held out a green amulet that Hoji’s seen him toyed with during the middle of paperwork. “He must have been younger than ten and he told me--” Ban took in a breath, “his dream is to be the number one Deka,” and released it.

“Someday I wondered if it’s worth it, you know, the pain.” His smile turned strained, and Hoji suddenly thought that he preferred the pout and the frown so much better. “The guilt.”

“It has to be.” Hoji resolved. Otherwise, they might as well quit now.

“I just know that I can’t give up.” Ban paused. “We can’t save everyone.” He caught Hoji's eyes again like the words were for Hoji's sake not for himself. “But we can damn well try our hardest again and again.”

Because they were Deka, and Hoji understood that.

“I really believe that justice would win in the end, you know. So if your heart is wavering, cling onto that belief until it sets you straight again, okay?” Ban bumped their shoulders together. 

Pretty words for a newbie, but Hoji was sure to keep it close to heart.

“Yeah, I guess so.” He allowed a small smile and knocked his knuckle against Ban’s chest, near his SPD badge. “You say some cool things for a simpleton.”

“I’ll let you off for that name calling because you had hell of a day, partner.” Ban caught his wrist instead, his thumb brushed against the white bandage while he frowned at Vino’s silver bracelet.

“Is this kind of like Maira-san’s bracelet to me?” 

“You mean like a sign of being friend-zoned indefinitely?” Hoji scoffed. “Sure. And don’t call me partner.” He really intended for it to be a shared joke, but Ban’s next question was quiet.

“He was your lover?” 

Hoji took his hand back, and then there was a space between them that he wasn’t too keen on closing. “Didn’t you hear me? Friend-zoned indefinitely. It’s a friendship bracelet, Ban. That’s all it is.”

Well, now it was Hoji’s way to mourn. To remember the past as well as the mistake he made. But Hoji wasn’t going to tell Ban that ever.

“But you had feelings for him?” Ban accused.

Feelings might be too strong of a word. They were in the Academy with no clue to where they’d be stationed, they couldn’t afford feelings. And Vino made it quite clear that Hoji was a friend. If Hoji leaned more toward women after that, then that was that. It was all so long ago.

Ban’s tone made him bristle in defense, however. Hoji didn’t really advertise, but he won’t put up with crap if Ban decided to be a douchebag about it. “So? You have a problem with it?”

“Yeah! He was rude and not that good looking, did you like him because of his shooting skill?” Ban closed in again. “Girls are cute, and I totally get that I can’t win against them, but no way I’d lose to a dude like that. I can pull off an ‘excellent’ in the shoot-out module, too!” 

Hoji gaped at his words because he thought he heard Ban implied that--no, Hoji wasn’t going there. He cleared his throat and looked away because that was easier. 

It was fine if Ban didn’t have a problem with it. Ban didn’t seem to have a problem with Hoji latching onto the safer topic either.

“No way you can pull off an ‘excellent,’ even I can’t do it.”

“If I can do it, will you take me out for food?” 

“Again?” Hoji sighed. “What’s with you and free food?” 

“I’m thinking shabu-shabu this time, or yakiniku.” Ban ignored him, turning away, mind already swirling with all sorts of meat cuts, no doubt. He gave a head tilt toward the door when Hoji made no move to accompany him. “Coming?”

“Now?” 

“Yeah, gotta show you I’m better and all that, so yes, now.” With that, Ban continued his track to inside the base, and Hoji reluctantly followed him. 

Turned out, Ban did manage it.

By combining his D-magnums to blow out three targets at once with a giant Strike-Out, which was an overkill with no finesse or precision. This was bulldozing his way to 'excellent.'

Ban only powered down with a V sign and a grin that said ‘I told you so’ while Hoji pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have known to set rules. 

“Fine. But we’re going for ramen,” Hoji said finally and ignored Ban’s victorious cheer as he turned away.

“Ramen is good, too! Tomorrow, okay?” Ban called out, satisfied enough to conclude his Hoji-pestering for the day. “It’s a date!”

Hoji felt his grin all the way out to the door and it was infectious. It made Hoji's shoulders a little bit lighter, and he thought, maybe he’d be able to catch some sleep tonight. 

“No way in hell.” The English slid off his tongue easily. 


	4. 19 Fake Blue

EpSum: Hoji switched body with an Alienizer.

**4.19 Fake Blue + Onigiri (1403)**

Deka trainees received comprehensive training on all weapons prior to deployment.

Hoji certainly was capable of knuckle duster and baton for close range combat, but the SPD wooden sword in his hands felt more like a deadweight than anything useful. 

Two-swords length separated them, and in a real fight, Hoji would have already drawn his SP shooter and fired two rounds to Ban’s right knee, which would effectively bring him to the ground for Hoji’s knockout blow from above. 

As of right now, however, Ban circled him with focused eyes and sweat soaked regulation T-shirt; his hair matted above his forehead distractingly.

Then his foot twisted against the mat, and Hoji braced as Ban raised his sword, and a war cry echoed loudly in the empty training room as a descending blade crashed onto Hoji’s. 

Hoji blocked and let the force slide off his weapon while muscle memory from standard kata kicked in, and Hoji swung his bokken onto Ban’s temple. 

He didn’t have to worry about pulling his strength because Ban had already ducked away, his own sword snapping onto Hoji’s wrist, hard enough to shock. Involuntarily, his grip failed, but Hoji couldn’t react when the tip of Ban’s weapon, like a surging serpent, darted to his throat, inches away from sliding through it.

Blood roared in his ears and his heart rammed against his ribcage, pumping adrenaline through his veins. Ban stared him down with unflinching eyes, and Hoji couldn’t look away.

It wasn’t until Ban released a deep breath and stepped back that Hoji could breathe himself. He had lost.

Immediately, Ban discarded the samurai-shell that had enclosed him and returned to their normal Ban, who tossed Hoji a blue towel with a big grin. 

Hoji caught it gratefully and rubbed the sweat from his neck. “You got stronger training with Boss,” he said, sitting down on the rest bench with a respectable distance from Ban. It was more so because they were sweaty and stinky, but still.

“Heheh!” Obviously pleased with the rare compliment, Ban rubbed his nose. “For a gun specialist, you’re pretty good yourself.”

“Of course, I am perfect,” Hoji returned with an exaggerated flick of hair, then slid his bang backward, feeling the AC seeping into his pores and his muscles cooled and stiffened.

His body was still aching from the fight with Jinche, which was Hoji’s fault for beating up the Alienizer too well during their body switch.

But sparring with Ban made him feel more settled in his body. It felt good, better than fighting in clunky Wojonian’s skin and claws.

“Partner,” Ban started, turning to face Hoji with a leg folding on the seating, suddenly serious. “I’m sorry!” He squeezed his eyes shut and ducked his head behind clapped hands. 

“What?” Hoji startled. 

“For not realizing the imposter!” Ban rubbed his head, the way he did when he was frustrated. “I should have known, thinking back, aside from the partner thing, you also saluted weirdly and the way you act--ahhh, it’s driving me nuts thinking about it!”

“Not your fault.” Hoji shook his head, grabbing his water to hide behind. He refused to think about how the colleagues who he worked and lived with didn’t catch on fast enough. But it wasn’t a big deal because everything worked out in the end. “I’ve seen the security footage, Jinche really did acted similar--”

“But _I_ should have known!” Ban was adamant. “It feels insincere, you know, for me to chase a guy that I couldn’t even distinguish from an Alienizer!”

Hoji took in a sharp breath and felt his heart jolted. There Ban was again with his careless remark. “Are you?”

Ban looked confused. 

“Are you chasing me?” Were they really going to open this can of worms here and now? 

Hoji knew they were skirting the thin line between arguing and pigtail pulling. But between the two of them and Sen, they really didn’t hesitate to flirt with anything that was moving and pretty. 

So it didn’t mean anything, right? Better question yet, did Hoji want it to mean something? 

Then there was a warm hand on his cheek, and it came quick, but carefully, and ended too soon--the press of lips on Hoji’s. Ban’s hot breath lingered though as he muttered, “For a genius, you're kinda slow.” 

Hoji didn’t know what to think, frozen still as Ban returned to his position from before, face betraying no thoughts while Hoji’s face was burning, and his heart beat too damn loud.

“Focus, partner.” Ban snapped his fingers, but there was an amused smile caressing his lips. Hoji’s eyes flitted to it and quickly moved away. 

If Ban noticed it, he didn’t say, only insisted, “We need a code word in case something like this happens again.”

“Um--the thing worked pretty well.” Hoji cleared his throat and shrugged offhanded, trying to play it cool even though his mind still hadn’t recovered. “Just use that.”

“The partner thing or the kiss thing?” Ban had the nerve to ask, and Hoji had to shove at his shoulder to retaliate, drawing out a boisterous laugh that was more in familiar territory.

“Of course the partner thing, you idiot!” But his words carried no anger even to his own ears.

“You know, sometimes when it’s just the two of us, you don’t correct me,” Ban quipped. “Like just now, actually.” That was a too pleased grin that Hoji needed to wipe away.

“Oh I didn’t? Well, don’t call me partner.” Hoji really couldn’t think around Ban right now because for a moment he had entertained the thought of kissing Ban’s smug face away, and that was a definite no. 

The damage had been done though. Because now the thought plagued his mind. And his restraint was crumbling despite Hoji’s utmost effort at subduing it, subduing the urge that was instilled in him since Ban became too touchy-feely, and spent way too much time with Hoji outside of work. 

Ban’s pout returned, and it was as dangerous as Ban’s annoying smirk.

He didn’t seem to understand the chaos he raised inside Hoji as he fiddled with the pants’ cuff, eyes down casted. “I’m just saying it’s not too reliable...” Then he lifted his head and suddenly he was too close to Hoji’s face again. 

Hoji managed not to flinch, because embarrassed or no, Hoji wasn’t going to back down. He stared defiantly back at Ban. “What?”

“Let’s just use the kiss thing.” Ban grinned shamelessly.

“It’s not even logical,” Hoji replied. 

“But Alienizers will push me away, then I’ll know!” 

“ _I_ would push you away, Ban.” 

“You didn’t earlier!” 

“Because you caught me off guard!” Hoji argued, head-butting against Ban’s forehead. “I will push you away next time--” The words slipped out and lit Ban up like city lights after dark. “I mean--not next time because there won't be a next time--”

“Partner, if you want another kiss, all you had to do was ask, you know,” Ban leered, and Hoji pushed them apart at arm’s length. 

“That’s not it!” Hoji flushed.

Ban only laughed again, but he eased off. That was just who Ban was. Quick to anger, quick to tease, quick to sulk and then quick to act like an adult with common sense. And Hoji still didn't get him. 

“So it’s decided, okay?” Ban said while his attention locked on the clock in the room. Then he jumped from the bench in alarm, gathering his water and towel, shoving them half haphazardly into his training bag. “Shit, I’m late! I got evening patrol with Jasmine today! She’s going to kill me!

“Here--you skipped lunch, right?” Ban talked fast, shoving something at Hoji before speeding to the door. 

“Ban--” Hoji halted his exit, and Ban jogged in place, impatience edged on the lines of his face. “What if I had pushed you away, today, and in the hypothetical next time?” He really wanted to know.

“But you won’t," Ban said, but Hoji wasn’t sure if it was blinded faith or an expectation.

Then he was already out the door and Hoji was left by himself with two onigiri and a carton of milk tea. It was tuna mayo and cod roe, not exactly Hoji’s favorite; he preferred salmon filling. He also didn’t like milk in his tea. But Hoji unwrapped the first one and bit into it. 

Tasted good.


	5. 20 Running Hero

Ep.Sum: Ban chased down bombs on foot.

**5.20 Running Hero + Sweet (897)**

Ban hated basics.

He agreed it was necessary, but running miles and miles just wasn’t as exciting as catching and cuffing a criminal. He was fit enough for duty, so aside from the occasional weight training and weapons drills, Ban didn’t do much else. He certainly won’t jump at any chance to run.

It really was sheer will that got his legs to move against Baizugoa, but the morning after was horrible.

His joints were stiff and muscles ached deep to the bone. Morning briefing was only thirty minutes away, but Ban was debating on skipping breakfast and shower for some extra rest. 

As he was lulled back to sleep by cool air and the soft bedding, there was knocking on his door. Ban figured if it was important enough, they’d get him on comm, so he resolutely kept his eyes shut and willed the guest away. 

The knocking persisted though and came Hoji’s voice, sounding too awake and functional for Ban even at eight in the morning. “Ban, open the door.” 

Ban liked Hoji, but he was seriously reconsidering because waking him up before work hours was just mean. Ban buried his head underneath his pillow. “No, go away,” he mumbled, but Hoji probably wouldn’t be able to hear it.

“I’m coming in, look decent,” Hoji said and then the door was hissing and sliding open like Ban didn't lock it last night. Ban was vaguely aware that yes, he was wearing his No.1 Ban boxer, and yes, it was on full display with the way Ban was cuddling his blanket. 

It was too early to care though. Since Hoji was the one that barged in, if he couldn't handle Ban's get up, then it wasn't Ban's problem. Hoji’s step didn’t falter, and Ban felt a weight sunk on his bed. 

Huh, usually it was Ban who had to seek Hoji out for any private encounter despite Hoji’s obvious interest. This was the first time Hoji came to him. In his personal quarter even. Maybe he should get up after all. 

A touch by his calf made a decision for him as Ban swung the pillow off and glared at Hoji with one eye opened.

“Partner, that is sexual harassment,” Ban grumbled at the bright light from the ceiling, but Hoji didn’t respond, attention was still on Ban’s naked legs.

“That’s a lot of Salonpas,” Hoji noted, his tone was strangely muted as his fingers poked on the joint of Ban’s knee where four patches were stuck on. More were littered on his calves and ankles. “Are you in pain?” 

“No,” Ban huffed, which was a lie, but he was a Deka okay, he’d lived. Not to mention complaining over muscle aches was just pathetic. “What are you doing here?” He pulled himself up grudgingly, yawning and scratching his head.

Hoji’s eyes finally flicked back to his face as he dropped a plastic bag on Ban’s lap. “Repayment,” Hoji said and stood, but Ban was already latching onto his hand, stopping him.

There was no way Hoji could just waltz into Ban’s room, wake him up from a very well-deserved rest and walk out of it.

Hoji only sighed and settled back down, and Ban offered him a custard bun from the bag; there were two. Ban found a melon bread, a fruit sandwich and a box of orange juice as well.

“Looks delicious.” He tore off the wrapper like a child on Christmas. “Thank you, partner!” This was muffled by the sweet cream and fluffy bread in his mouth.

Ban chewed happily, taking another big bite. It was basically breakfast in bed, Hoji had brought him breakfast in bed! That made the pastry ten times yummier!

Hoji wrinkled his nose. “Don’t speak while you eat, stupid.” 

“Although this is suspicious, you’re unusually nice today,” Ban observed as he moved onto the next item. “Did you wake up and realize how much you love me and finally decide to shower me with good food?” 

“Dream on,” Hoji scoffed, skimming the back of Ban’s head for a head-slap. 

Ban pouted on habit until Hoji’s fingers glided back into his hair, carding through his already messy bedhead. 

“It’s always so spiky. Might look better if you leave it loose more often.”

Ban blinked at his remark. Yeah, this was weird because Ban’s cheeks were heating up and normally, it was Hoji who received this sort of attention from him.

To gain his equilibrium back, he sniffed, “I’ll do that for our date next time.”

Hoji didn’t pull away like expected, but began to roughly ruffle and mush up Ban’s hair instead.

“Going out for food is not a date!” He huffed, ending the rough tousling with a final pat on Ban’s head. “Anyway, you did good. Yesterday.”

Ban tried to not feel too disappointed as Hoji got up. The fruit sandwich was very placating, however.

"You know, no one will believe me if I tell them you were nice to me." 

A rare playful smirk displayed on his face before Hoji fully turned and walked out. "I know." And Ban's chest was bubbling with affection and joy. 

If Hoji was trying to let Ban down easy, then this really really wasn't the way to go. But if he was playing hard to get, then Ban was totally up for the challenge. 

The day suddenly seemed much better already.


	6. 25 Witness Grandma

EpSum: Ban got possessed by an Alienizer.

**6.25 Witness Grandma + Soup (1125)**

So being possessed sucked balls. 

Sucked like saw scraping on the back of his throat, and it burned every time Ban talked, which wasn’t something Ban couldn’t handle, but Swan-san had ordered him strictly to refrain from doing so after a quick medical checkup. Something about the molecular made-up of Spiritians that didn’t sit well with the human body.

Ban was communicating by glaring at Hoji’s profile instead.

Everyone had gone to do their own things, and it was technically not work hour anymore, on call or no. Even Boss had retired to his quarter, but here was Hoji, ignoring Ban for the past hour, alternating between sorting files and typing up reports continuously.

He didn’t seem to be finishing up anytime soon, but Ban’s stomach was growling, and he needed food now or he’d die face planted on the meeting table. 

“Partner,” Ban tugged on Hoji’s sleeve, risking a little bit of sting.

“Don’t talk,” Hoji ordered.

Ban pouted, that usually had some effect on the workaholic if Hoji would just look at him. So Ban tried another tactic. He reached for the extra pen and a sheet of discarded report, and scribbled:

_ I’m hungry, partner  _ with a frowny face doodle.

Shoving the sheet onto Hoji’s current file, Ban watched Hoji’s eyes sparing it a glance before flicking it away, returning to his writing.

“Go eat then.” 

_ But you promised me curry! _ Ban drew a plate of curry; it was little bit warped, but still recognizable.

“I never promised anything, and Swan-san said you should have liquids tonight.” 

_ Curry is liquid! _

“Rice isn’t, and you’re going to have multiple bowls I’m assuming,” Hoji said, still meticulously filling out his report with neat kanji.

_ But I don’t like porridge! _ was accompanied by an emoticon with fire for eyes--Ban was kind of proud of it.

“Fifteen minutes,” Hoji said, finally giving Ban a look, exasperated and almost fond--if Ban read him right; he’d like to think he can understand Hoji’s nonverbal cue by now. “If you are good for another fifteen minutes, I’ll make you soup.”

Now that was a proper incentive. Ban lifted his head from the table and flashed the Blue with double thumbs up. 

Though it was hard to sit still for fifteen minutes knowing that he was about to get homemade food from Hoji. Did anyone ever get homemade food from Hoji? Or was Ban just special? The thought made him giddy and twitchy, but he’ll be good.

Ban alternated between spinning in his chair and drawing out pictures of the Dekaranger in their suits, including DekaMaster. Then he was attempting to depict a scene where Deka Blue was on one knee in front of Deka Red’s surprised gasping pose when the paper was yanked from him; his pen streaked a long line to the edge.

“Hey!” Ban shouted and then wisely shut up when it came out like a rasp.

Hoji stared at the drawing and snorted, “Dream on, baby.” He put the paper on top of the stack of reports he was carrying and sauntered out. 

The English endearment froze Ban in his spot for a second before he sprung out of his seat, trailing after Hoji. Cute girls that they both appreciated received ‘baby’, not Ban. Not that he minded. 

If he mentioned it, Hoji wouldn’t do it again, so Ban only grinned and hopped a couple of steps.

Hoji led them to his room, but stopped Ban from going inside with a terse “No.” He came out with SPD sweats and T-shirt, looking officially off duty. Ignoring Ban’s ogle, he marched to the kitchen next. 

Most SPD members ate off base or brought lunches since their meager cafeteria only served assorted breads, which usually ran out after thirty minutes on most days. But for the members who lived on base, there was a kitchen space available, not that anybody ever used it really.

It was a standard stove, sink and microwave kitchen, and was even equipped with baking ovens and a large fridge on one wall. There was also a counter space in the middle of it with a couple of stools littered around. 

Ban settled into one and propped his elbow up to watch Hoji, who was opening cabinets for pots and pans like he knew where everything was. He wanted to ask if Hoji cooked often, but watching Hoji was nice, too, especially when Hoji expertly tied a maroon apron around his tapered waist. 

Not exactly red, but close enough. Ban tried not to stare too far down at Hoji’s back as he was being a gentleman. 

“It’s almost nice, having you all quiet for a change,” Hoji said, giving Ban a look over his shoulder, but Ban knew Hoji liked the babbling.

Ban stuck his tongue out at him and caught the smile grazing Hoji’s lips. It was a good thing they were the only two in the room, because as much as Ban liked Hoji, he wasn’t going to be caught with a besotted grin over the resident genius by anybody. 

Nobody would let him live it down. And he saw these people every day.

Hoji placed a bowl of egg drop soup in front of Ban after a little bit, and it looked professional, with scallion toppings, perfect streaks and swirls of eggs and everything.

“Go for it,” Hoji said, watching as Ban blew on his spoon and took the first sip. “Might not be filling, so you can have ice cream after as well.” 

The soup warmed all the way to the pit of his stomach. It was flavorful with sweetness from bonito stock and was salted just enough.

And then there was a lump in his throat and if Ban could speak normally, he still wouldn’t, for fear it might shatter, and Hoji would hear how his voice would crack. 

Ban hadn’t had anyone to cook for him like this since he was thirteen and suddenly shipped off to the Space Police Academy. 

“It’s good,” Ban mouthed, not wanting the burn to take away this comforting warmth. He sniffed away the sentiments and smiled at Hoji. 

“Of course, it’s perfect,” Hoji returned with a satisfied smile. 

Ban thought that he was a little bit more than ‘liked Hoji’ at this point, and was slowly straying from ‘will be disappointed but fine if rejected’ zone to the ‘will be heartbroken and cry if rejected’ zone. 

“You should make soup for me every day from now on,” he murmured. 

Hoji puffed out a small laugh, eyes crinkling in amusement like he knew something Ban didn’t. “You’ll get sick of it,” he said.

And Ban tried not to think too much about impending doom and mixed signals and asked for a second bowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not exactly Japanese food, but I was thinking of making egg drop soup with bonito stock at wee hours of morning so. Also, asking someone to make you soup every day is an old way to propose in Japan, according to research.


	7. 26 Cool Passion

EpSum: Hoji partook in an underground fighting ring.

**7.26 Cool Passion + Katsudon (864)**

Tetsu caught him making heart eyes at Hoji.

Ban would argue that he wasn’t that obvious, and Tetsu only caught it due to his Tokkyou training of detection or something. 

It wasn’t his fault Hoji looked so damn good being focused and intense, and the leather was really not helping Ban’s meager self-control. Leather pants, leather jacket, fingerless gloves? He was killing Ban here.

If Deka Blue was the poster boy of a perfect SPD officer, who everybody in the chain of command would nod in approval, then Tomasu Hoji clad in leather was someone no one’s parents would want to see in their house. 

Ban dig the bad boy leather. 

But Hoji ditched it soon enough for his usual uniform after they closed the case, and it made Ban want to do undercover work with him just to see Hoji wearing civvies other than his black coat and neatly pressed suits. 

But the point was he wasn’t making heart eyes. He was just appreciating Hoji hard at work, and his powerful jabs and newly trained agility. 

“Swan-san said that when looking at one’s object of affection, a person might smile at it and looked  _ soft _ , whatever that means, but I’m sure it was what you did, senpai,” Tetsu said like he was an expert of love now that he was spending time with their mechanic learning about human emotions. 

“I did not!” Ban hissed over the packaged of yakisoba bread opened between them.

Tetsu tore off another chunk, careful of the falling noodle strands as he shoved it in his mouth. Cheeks puffing and eyes smiling, he looked far from the elite gold badge who they met the first time.

“Are you saying Swan-san doesn’t know what she’s talking about?” When Ban made no move to eat again, Tetsu dragged the rest of the bread to his side of the cafeteria table and promptly devoured it. It was technically his bread that Ban had invited himself to. 

Like his quick attachment to Swan-san, Tetsu somehow found himself in good grace with the handful of lunch ladies in the base. They’d save him two portions every day, one for lunch, another for dinner. 

Something about,  _ oh poor boy, so skinny, how is he eating after transferring so far away from home _ . Never mind that Earth was Tetsu’s home planet, and that he, like any other Academy cadet, must have known the necessary basics of cooking for one.

But again, that wasn’t the point to his complaint.

“Boss looks at her like that all the time and you don’t see anybody calling him out on it!” 

“Yeah, because we have a self-preservation instinct, unlike you, senpai,” Tetsu said like it was a matter of fact with that annoying tone that insisted that he was right, and Ban was horribly wrong like always.

“You brat.” Ban slapped the table and stood to exercise his right to head-slap an impertinent kouhai, only for a hand on his shoulder shoving him back to the seat. 

“Hoji-san!” Tetsu straightened up considerably, tail wagging now that he harbored a newfound respect for their genius Blue. 

“Yo,” Hoji said more so to Tetsu, his palm still latching onto Ban. “Looks like you two had dinner already.” He glanced at the wrapper. Tetsu had dinner, Ban barely had a bite in. 

“I guess no need to invite you now.” That was aimed more at Ban because his eyes flickered down to Ban briefly. He made a move to leave, but Ban caught a slender finger in his grip and tilted his head to stare up at Hoji.

“Invite to what?” He asked, curious and was secretly pleased when Hoji didn’t stop him from leaning onto his chest. Even Tetsu’s knowing gaze wasn’t going to deter Ban from enjoying this. 

Hoji let him get away with a lot more when he was happy. And after closing a case like he did today, he was basically jumping on clouds.

“Katsudon,” Hoji said simply, but Ban knew the meaning behind it. Victory food. And he had been nagging Hoji about getting donburi. 

Ban grinned. “Of course! Let me treat you today!”

“Ah, I heard about that! I’m actually still pretty hungry and I’ve been wanting to try it, can I come too?” Tetsu jumped at the opportunity and broke Hoji from the trance he fixed on Ban. 

Hoji pulled his hand away and stepped back. “Yeah, come on.” He signaled his head at the door. “Ban’s paying after all.”

“Hey! I didn’t agree to pay for you.” Ban stood and shoved a shoulder against Tetsu as they both followed Hoji out. 

“Senpai, I thought Earth customs dictate that you have to treat your kouhai.”

“Like hell!” Not when said kouhai caught him doing something embarrassing.

“I will cry and tell Swan-san on you--”

But Ban couldn’t reply when Umeko and Jasmine waved from the lobby wearing cute skirts and stylish jackets, and Sen stumbled in behind them in an SPD hoodie.

Then Ban knew suddenly that this wasn’t their usual food outing. It was a freaking team dinner.

“Ban is paying,” Hoji announced with a hint of glee and everybody burst out in cheers.


	8. 29 Mirror Revenge

EpSum: Tetsu defeated an old enemy.

**8.29 Mirror Revenge + Takoyaki (1081)**

Hoji was the one to encourage it.

After all, Ban and Tetsu’s past weren’t that much different from each other. 

Tetsu was young, even if he was talented. And he needed someone like Ban to keep him straight on days like this. Days where he got revenge on the man who killed his parents and effectively killed the man who saved him as well.

Stuff like that, it messed with people's heads. Not to mention, saving thousands of people won’t alleviate the recurring pain of seeing your mom engulfed in fire.

Tetsu was vocal about his pain at least. It was Tokkyou training on dealing with emotional trauma--getting it out of the way by conventional means of therapeutic talking to facilitate resumption of duty, or something like that.

But Hoji didn’t understand Ban’s need for holding back on his own history because Ban certainly didn’t have any self-control regarding anything else.

So Hoji encouraged it. He just didn’t expect to feel bereft at the loss of Ban’s constant presence and mindless chattering. 

He found them late at night on the roof, heads huddled together, and the winds didn’t quite carry their murmurs to Hoji. 

And he felt foolishly jealous because there wasn’t anything to be jealous about. Tetsu was a new member. Ban was doing his job as a Red. That was it. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Hoji had to concede the point that Ban had an attention span of a goldfish. Maybe his attention was moving to Tetsu, like the way he kissed Hoji out of the blue after the brief interest in Maira. 

And it was irrational and unreasonable because why should Hoji care if Ban decided to switch target. A kiss wasn’t a promise of anything. 

The thought made him feel awfully guilty because Ban turned to him with a blinding smile, one that reserved only for him. Tetsu was subdued than normal, but he also waved. Hoji was being stupid.

He raised the bag in his hand like an apology and didn’t hesitate to come join them. He sat beside Ban, uncovering the goods and smelling the delicious whiff of sauce. He handed Ban and Tetsu each a plastic container of takoyaki and watched them both brighten up. 

Great, Hoji suddenly realized that he had two mouths to feed from now on. 

“Thanks for the food, Hoji-san!” Tetsu gasped in wonderment at the squid balls like it was his first time having them and sighed happily after popping one inside his mouth. 

Ban offered one to Hoji first, but Hoji shook his head. 

“Thanks, partner!” 

“Don’t call me partner,” Hoji said, feeling the crazy nonsense that flooded his mind vanished with the pure contentment from his teammates.

“This is so delicious,” Tetsu mumbled, already on his last piece. Hoji swore the kid was even more of a food-vacuum than Ban. “Thank you so much, senpai, Hoji-san.” He smiled widely at Ban and Hoji, then rubbed quickly at his eyes with the back of his hand.

Ban and Hoji shared a glance before Ban knocked against Tetsu’s shoulder, and Hoji reached behind Ban to muss up Tetsu’s hair. Tetsu laughed and ducked from both of them, getting up on the way. 

“Alright, I’m heading to bed now,” he said, giving Ban a long look that Hoji couldn’t understand. “Don’t deface any Deka property tonight, senpai.” 

Ban stuck out a tongue instead, clearly age wasn’t directly correlated to maturity. 

“Good night, Hoji-san,” Tetsu said charmingly and wandered off, leaving Hoji to turn to Ban with furrowed brows.

“What was that about?”

Ban held up the last piece in his box to Hoji instead, and waited until Hoji relented and opened his mouth to let Ban feed him. The sauce was cold, but it still was tasty.

“Tetsu’s just being a brat.”

“You guys get along well,” Hoji said offhandedly. 

“What? Are you jealous, partner?” Ban beamed, falling sideways to prop his head on Hoji’s shoulder, leaning heavily against Hoji. 

“Nonsense.” Hoji shrugged him off and waved a finger to mimic their youngest Deka. 

Ban pouted, but didn’t force it, falling onto his back instead. Arms pillowing below spiky hair as he stared up to the dark sky and stars that were dimmed by metropolis’ lights. 

“He found out about us,” he said abruptly. 

Hoji scoffed. “What’s there to find out about?”

Ban hummed then turned silent, drawing Hoji’s eyes to him. For a guy who wore emotions on his sleeves, sometimes he could be totally unreadable.

The silence continued and with a soft sigh, Hoji caved in. 

Plopping down on his elbow earned him a side glance until Ban tilted his head expectantly with an infuriating knowing smile, and Hoji dipped his head and gave into the urge that had been driving him insane for the past months.

Ban kissed him back, slow and soft, reserved even in his exploration of every bit of Hoji’s mouth. He kissed like he was afraid Hoji would withdraw the moment he let himself fall; back to feelings and instinct and everything that drove him to this point in his life. 

It took a long time for Hoji to understand that Ban was just as wary about this thing budding between them as Hoji. 

It made him think too much, be too considerate, and act completely not Ban, and Hoji almost hated it, but he couldn’t, not since Ban took the leap of faith for him in the training room with a clumsy, awkward press of lips. 

So Hoji caressed Ban’s cool cheek and leaned in nearer, harder, and slanted his head to connect their mouths deeper and coaxed Ban to open up, to stop holding back and let Hoji taste that hot fire burning inside him. 

Then he felt Ban’s fingers clutched onto his nape, running through the hair there and finally grabbing and pushing their chests impossibly closer. Ban’s tongue licked inside him, heating Hoji all the way down, and Hoji gave back just as daring. 

When they drew apart in quiet pants, Ban was loose and pliant and relaxed underneath Hoji. 

“Do you want there to be?” Ban asked, his breath skimming onto Hoji’s skin. “You know, something for people to find out about?” 

His lips were swollen red as he stared up under his fluttering lashes, and Hoji wanted to kiss them. 

“What do you think?” Hoji said simply and watched Ban searched his face, puzzling out something.

Then Ban tugged him back in, muttering against Hoji’s jaw. “Okay.”


	9. 30 Gal Hazard

EpSum: Ban saved a girl who was fleeing from criminals.

**9.30 Gal Hazard + Okonomiyaki (1341)**

Hoji wasn’t jealous.

Because as far as Ban knew, he got kisses when Hoji was jealous--and that was still a pleasant surprise that kept him warm at night.

But he really wasn’t jealous even as Faraway declared herself to be Ban’s future wife, clinging onto him. Hoji just stood back and laughed along with everyone, face and shoulders relaxed. 

They haven't really talked about it. Whatever it was that they decided while drunk on each other's taste. 

Ban just assumed that at this point, interested girls were also a threat. So he felt just a bit put off when their group migrated to the okonomiyaki bar a block away from base, and Hoji let Tetsu saddle up beside him in their table with Sen. 

Each grill could hold four people at once, and Ban could totally join them if Umeko and Jasmine didn’t take up seats across from Boss and Swan-san, purposefully leaving Faraway by herself for Ban to take care of.

So here they were, Ban dining with a girl who insisted on feeding him, while his--whatever Hoji was now to him--was getting chummier with their brat of a kouhai, talking about guns and what not, not noticing the glares Ban was directing at him.

Faraway took note of his distraction though, and pouted. “I see, you men are all the same,” she said. “Quick to discard your girlfriend for new interest,” and wiped away a nonexistent tear on her cheek. “Even though I gave you my everything.”

Ban turned back to her quickly when they were gathering some curious looks. “But you’re not my girlfriend! All you gave me was headache and anxiety!”

“But I could be!” She grinned, pouring the batter of another bowl onto the sizzling grill. “I’m pretty, I can cook, and I can totally provide for you, dar-ling.”

“With what? The money you steal?” Ban scowled, but joined her in cooking.

“How rude! I’m turning on a new leaf!” Faraway knocked against his spatula. “Refusing me just because I’m not conventionally pretty, you’re as shallow as any other!”

“I never said that!” Ban huffed, knocking back, and pushing like it was swords that they were wielding when she didn’t back off.

“Then date me,” she said, gaining an inch. 

Ban returned two fold. “No!” 

“Why not?!” 

“Because--” Boss cleared his throat from his table, and Ban huffed, heeding the warning and pulling back before their tempers could turn this into a food fight, and get them all kicked out.

“Because?” She nonchalantly shaped the batter now, into a perfect circle. For a Slorpean’s first time on Earth, she was eating this like a pro.

Ban reached for the sauce and mumbled, much quieter for a conversation between the two of them. “I like someone already.” 

Faraway returned without hesitation, “So what, ditch her.”

“I’m not gonna ditch him, I more-than-like him,” Ban said, avoiding her eyes while spreading black sauce onto their latest pie. He hadn’t told anybody that, not even Tetsu or the person it was intended for.

She gasped in glee, too happy for a girl who was being rejected multiple times. She took the sauce from him. “Oh hoh, you more than like him?”

“Don’t tease me.” He reached for the mayo next. 

“I’m not--oh don’t put the green thing on, I don’t like it--I’m not teasing you! I just didn’t expect you swinging that way--” she said, showing the first sign of backing off. “Does he know?”

“I swing all ways! And um--yes, no, no, or well I don’t know.” Ban sighed woefully and tried not to look at Hoji because that would be totally obvious. “But we hang out, and some.” He scratched his nose in embarrassment, still not believing he was confiding in a girl he just met.

“That’s nice.” Her tone was envious. “Last time that I ‘more than liked’ someone, he left me alone to face off against a killing robot,” she said, blinking her eyes rapidly before wiping at them.

He didn’t think she was faking this time. “Dumped me when I needed him the most.”

Ban felt a little bit guilty, so he cut a big piece and put it on her plate. Faraway smiled up at him, more genuine than ever.

“He’s an asshole then,” he added.

“Yeah he is, I don’t know what I ever saw in him.” She heaved a long sigh, wilting as she played with her food. She clearly had feelings for the bastard still. 

“You know, one day you’ll find one,” Ban said, willing her eyes to lift up. “A good guy who will love you for who you are, and you two will be happy, and awfully cute with couple’s t-shirts and matching jewelry.” 

“You think so?” 

“Yeah! So cheer up!” He lifted his glass and she smiled, clanging it with hers, sloshing beer onto their fingers. 

“Alright, to celebrate independent-woman Faraway, I’m going all out tonight!” Faraway declared. “Bet I can drink you under the table!” 

Ban narrowed his eyes at her condescending smirk. “You’re so on!” 

Between the two of them, they finished two more okonomiyaki, and Ban distinctively remembered paying for at least eight rounds of beer, but everything was kind of mushed and swirled together. 

And then Hoji was under his arm, shouldering Ban’s weight and dragging him to a direction in base.

The hallway was spinning, and Ban saw Faraway waved him goodbye while Jasmine and Umeko pulled her to the other side. Then he was leaning against Hoji, sniffing his neck and smelling cologne and it was so easy to bite--

“Ban, stop it.” Hoji was keying in the passcode to Ban’s room. How did he know it, was Hoji stalking him or something?

“No, you should make it harder if you don’t want everybody to know,” Hoji answered like Ban was speaking out loud, was he speaking out loud? And 12114--No.1 Ban--was not easy to crack, and Ban wanted to tell Hoji that but then he was facing the ceiling, floating, spiraling.

“Ugh, make it stop turning, I’m gonna hurl--” Ban slurred, and Hoji placed the trash can beside his bed. 

Ban swallowed down the urge and found Hoji in the dark while Hoji was combing his fingers through his hair again, and it was nice. He could just sleep like this, but he wanted to spend time with Hoji, so he forced his eyes to stay half-open at least.

“You chose to drink. Now you get to deal with the consequences,” Hoji said, flicking Ban’s forehead. “Don’t come crying to me in the morning. Don’t you have the first patrol?”

Ban pouted, turning his heavy body to bury against Hoji’s thigh. “It’s your fault for ignoring me, Faraway and I were drinking our sorrow away!” Or was it to celebrate something? Ban didn’t remember.

He heard a scoff. “We’re not attached at the hips, Ban,” but Hoji resumed his petting.

“You know, you’re Tetsu’s type, competent and cool--” 

“Oh? When I said you two should talk, I didn’t mean to talk about me.”

“You let him cling onto you and he likes you!”

“Don’t be stupid. He idolizes me. He likes  _ you _ .”

“Yeah, but I’m his number one senpai--” Ban broke off, because even intoxicated he knew how laughable it was to be jealous over the kid. Tetsu liked  _ everybody. _ This wasn’t about Tetsu at all. 

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll leave you for some girl?” He continued in a mumble, eyes closing, but words still flowed easily.

If Hoji didn’t bat an eye when girls chase Ban, then would Ban had to do the same when it was his turn? Did ‘okay’ meant yes until a suitable girl came along and then that was it, they’d give up and stop this--

Hoji cut through his jumbling thoughts. “But you won’t.” He was confident like always.

Ban felt lips on his ears and agreed quietly. “No. No, I won’t.” 

Then the darkness lulled him away, and Hoji disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12114 is 1BAN, so literally No.1 Ban, but in Japanese, it’s read as ichiban, meaning number one, the best.


	10. 32 Discipline March

EpSum: Earth Branch Deka went to training camp.

**10.32 Discipline March + McDonald (1561)**

This was no time to think about things like love and relationship. 

Sen was down. Live ammunition surrounded them, and they were going to fail their teammates on Earth, fail the SWAT test because no one was going to make it. Hoji had to focus. 

But it was hard to, when Ban was leaving, goal propelling him forward without them, without Hoji.

And Hoji tried not to feel bitter about it because this was Ban’s dream, Hoji had no right to stop him. Not even when the dream certainly didn’t include him and the team.

His heart clenched tight before Hoji forced himself to breath out and let go and reprioritize. He was the field leader. So Hoji had Jasmine and Umeko covering fire, and hauled Sen onward while his treacherous mind chanted _he didn’t need you._

Then Ban was back, and they had a job to do. 

Now Hoji wrapped tape around his hands, and ‘BLUE is the SKY’ was blasting in his ears, and he hadn’t thought about Ban since they closed the case with Don Sanoa and the Muscle Gear mess.

Hoji fell back into routine, left jab, shuffle, right cross, exhale, left hook, uppercut--and he let tension bled out of his body in sweats. When he released a final deep breath, stilling the heavy bag, he saw Ban right away. 

He didn’t know how long Ban had been watching him on the side, but he was in workout gear and his face lacked the usual smile. Hoji yanked the earphones free. 

“Yo, partner,” Ban tossed him his towel, and Hoji caught it with practice. “Up for some sparring?”

“Swords?” Hoji asked, using his water as an excuse to look away. 

“Nah, I’m thinking of getting into the ring myself.” That was when Hoji realized Ban had tapes around his hands and a pair of boxing gloves lied beside him. Ban hadn’t done boxing before.

Hoji didn’t get what he was playing at because the Academy's hand-to-hand combat and Ban’s favored Jeet Kune Do just wasn’t the same. But he agreed easily.

“Alright,” Hoji said, tossing a Deka issued headgear at Ban and digging inside his bag for a new mouth guard. 

“Do I really need all of this?” Ban asked, grimacing at the blue plastic Hoji shoved onto him. 

Hoji pushed at him until he sat back on the bench. “Yes.” Unless Ban wanted Hoji to knock loose a couple of teeth, but that he kept inside his mind. He didn’t know why, but he was preferring to keep things short between the two of them. 

He was expecting more complaints, but Ban just slid it in his mouth obediently and turned around, pushing headgear onto his face. 

“Make sure it’s tight,” Hoji said and got a mumble as a reply, then he tightened up the strings on top, feeling Ban’s hair and belatedly realized it wasn’t gelled like normal. He crushed the urge to run his hand in them.

“Good?” 

Another affirmative mumble, and Hoji clasped it close.

Ban got his gloves on by himself and ducked into the boxing ring situated next to the open mat. He raised his brows at Hoji's lack of protective gear. 

Hoji punched his padded fists together. “Don’t need it against you.” 

As expected, Ban took it as a challenge and raised his guards. Hoji mirrored him, then he threw the first punch. A left jab that Ban stepped neatly aside, exposing side for Hoji’s right hook, straight into his ribs.

Ban stumbled back more so in shock because he just realized Hoji wasn’t pulling his strength.

Why should he when Ban was the one volunteering to be Hoji’s punching bag? And maybe, Hoji finally admitted as Ban scowled darkly, maybe Hoji was just a little bit angry at Ban. 

For being stupid at camp--Hoji weaved under Ban’s haymaker and got a left hook into his side again.

Ban was going to be black and blue by the time Hoji was done with him, and maybe, he was being mean. Maybe they shouldn’t even be sparring because Hoji was really angry at Ban.

For making Hoji feel like he wasn’t enough--a jab to his abdomen and Ban ducked back only to receive another combo of punches--hell, he was the best sharpshooter in their corner of the galaxy, and he still felt goddamn insignificant as a man who he had _feelings_ for didn’t seem to give a crap about him. 

Ban acted like Hoji was a burden. 

Well, fuck that. 

All Hoji wanted to do was keep everyone together and safe, and all he got was a stark reminder that Ban, who kissed him tenderly and made butterflies flutter in his chest, was still the impulsive and pigheaded one-track minded Ban that Hoji had hated from the beginning. 

Ban was blocking and attempting retaliating blows under Hoji’s assault to no avail.

And Hoji didn’t know how to feel because Ban made him irrational, and hopeful, and disappointed and _hurt_ , and Hoji wanted him to stop. He ended it with an uppercut to the faceguard, and breathed harshly as Ban dropped to the ground. 

Hoji’s first thought with adrenaline receding was that he had overdone it. He had let personal feelings influence a supposedly safe spar and threatened the trust and safety of a teammate. 

But Ban was fine, only refusing to get up as he yanked the mouth guard out and huffed loudly between gasps. “Ahhh--that was painful, partner.” His face scrunched up, and limbs sprawled out star-like.

“I expected you going all out,” Ban finally glanced at Hoji as he continued. “But feeling it was a whole other matter, I think you put me off boxing for the foreseeable future.”

“Next time just choose a better way to apologize,” Hoji said, but without the tint of cool detachment he had been injecting into their conversation.

“Did it work though?” Ban grinned like he hadn’t been beaten up. 

Hoji let out a long sigh because, as a matter of fact, he did feel better now that he got to punch his ire onto the person who had caused them in the first place.

He let his extended hand be an answer and jerked Ban upward, onto his feet and right into his face.

Ban held onto him, looking trashed with sweats trailing his skin and hair matted under the headgear, and Hoji didn’t want to kiss him in soaked clothes and sweaty musk. Ban only muttered, “There won’t be a next time.”

“You can’t promise that.” 

“I can’t promise that I won’t be stupid again, but I promise that I won’t abandon you.” 

Hoji scoffed, feeling his newfound good mood draining. He didn’t want Ban to make some empty promise just to placate his anger.

“Right. I don’t need that.” He pulled away but Ban didn’t let him, full of strength that he didn’t use against Hoji earlier. 

“Then what can I do?” Ban searched him, but even Hoji didn’t even know what he needed. 

After all, Ban came back for them, and gained a new sense of leadership. Ban realized he was wrong all on his own, and Hoji shouldn’t give him grief for a little bit of hurt feelings because he couldn’t handle Ban leaving like an adult. 

“Tell me you’re sorry, don’t make me promises,” because it’d be worse if Ban broke them. Actually, it’d be worse if Ban was forced to keep them. 

Hoji wanted Ban to choose him because he wanted him, not because of some words he said when they were sore and worn out. 

“I’m sorry,” Ban said, eyes earnest, and Hoji believed him. 

“And you have to buy dinner for the next two weeks,” Hoji added, making Ban break into a surprised laugh.

“Done.” Ban grinned, finally releasing his hold on Hoji’s hand. “I’ll start tonight. How about you go get cleaned up, and I’ll meet you in the lounge in about an hour with McDonald?” 

Surprisingly, Hoji was in a mood for disgustingly greasy food. 

“I want--”

“Teriyaki burger, yes, yes.” Ban unlatched his protective gear.

“And--”

“And I’ll stop by Lawson for drinks as well.”

“How about you let me finish my own sentences--” 

“We can even put on a Kindaichi Kousuke movie.” 

Now Ban was just being obnoxious. Hoji didn’t comment that that was exactly what he had wanted to do. 

“You’re trying way too hard,” Hoji said instead. 

“I am trying to earn your forgiveness, you know.”

Hoji waved him off.

By the time Hoji was cleaned and comfortable, he found Ban already in the lounge with wet hair and loose SPD sweats. He was pausing the opening credit on the TV when he saw Hoji, then he patted the spot next to him on the couch. 

Hoji took him up on it, sinking into cloud-soft cushions but didn’t get comfortable. He immediately zeroed in on the bags on the table. Ban hauled back three teriyaki burgers, two big macs and a chicken katsu rice burger along with a heaping box of fries. 

When Ban pulled out a big bottle of Pepsi instead of the usual green tea for him, Hoji couldn’t recall clearly why he was angry in the first place. 

If Ban draped himself onto Hoji’s side as they munched on unhealthy food, then that was just a bonus.


	11. 37 Hardboiled License

EpSum: Hoji took his final Tokkyou test.

**11.37 Hardboiled License + Oden (1667)**

As much as Ban knew it wasn’t true, that Hoji was out seeing a girlfriend, he couldn’t help the sense of doubt blooming in his chest. He trusted Hoji, but then he didn’t realize Hoji had been taking the Tokkyou test at all. 

Hoji hadn’t told him anything. Much less that he had passed the operation test, and was on his way for the practical knowledge portion. Knowing Hoji, he’d ace it, which brought up another problem. 

If Hoji was Tokkyou then he might be reassigned. After all, they had Tetsu, and new Tokkyou’s were usually mobile by tradition, chasing criminals all over the galaxies. Then where would the two of them be? 

Not that Ban would stop Hoji from advancing his career, he didn’t want to--although, he did understand Hoji’s freak out over the SWAT saga much better now.

But he had expected Hoji to at least share his plan, because weren’t they seriously involved now? Shouldn’t Ban get some heads up? 

Frankly, Ban was too invested in Hoji for him to up and leave. He didn’t know what to do except to confront Hoji, but with the case and the fact that they can’t exactly air out their problem in front of the team, there was no time.

Then Hoji was crying, soaked under the rain in front of a girl Ban didn’t recognize, but she, too, was crying miserably over a corpse. Then he refused the gold badge. Then Teresa died in medical because the shock from her brother’s death had sent her condition to critical. 

And Hoji called him on the night of his day off, his day of mourning, voice slurring, and thick with alcohol and a crazed abandonment, scaring the shit out of Ban. 

“Baby.” He giggled and hiccupped. “Come pick me up,” and Ban was already out of the door. 

It was outside of a jazz bar that Ban found Hoji’s rumpled form on the steps, slumping against the closed door with tears shining on his face, but he laughed when he saw Ban.

“There you are!” Hoji staggered onto his feet, and Ban was at his side in an instant, taking his weight and smelling hard liquor in Hoji’s breaths as the man latched onto him. 

“Let’s go to another bar--you like to drink, right--” Ban’s chest tightened sharply because he heard it, the anguish and the regret-- “I’ll drink with you today, Ban--” The guilt laced every syllable out of Hoji’s lips.

“No,” Ban started, feeling strangely lost in front of a Hoji he hadn’t seen before. “We’re going home, partner.” He was used to stubborn and strong Hoji, who fazed at nothing and seemed so invincible in his determination, that he hadn’t prepared at all for a Hoji that was breaking--

“I’m not going back!” Hoji pushed him off harshly, losing his manic grin as he turned away, but Ban grabbed his arm to steady him when he stumbled again. “I don’t want to go back--”

“Hoji--” 

“I don’t want to be a Deka anymore!” Hoji screamed in the empty street. It was loud and sudden, stopping Ban in his track.

Ban yanked him around because surely Hoji didn’t mean it; he was drunk, he was confused, he couldn’t have meant it, but Ban couldn’t help asking anyway. “Are you serious?”

“I wrote it, you know--” Hoji was deadly serious. “My resignation letter--I’ll turn it in tomorrow.”

Ban gaped incredulously. He knew Hoji was grieving, he shouldn’t be faulting him for lashing out, but he still couldn’t understand. Clord, Teresa, and why Hoji suddenly seemed so much like a stranger. 

Had he expected too much of Hoji because, for the first time, Ban felt disappointment and he didn’t know what to do with it. He was sick of this.

“On that note, let’s end it.” Hoji said lightly, like an afterthought.

His words doused Ban in ice and numbly he recalled all the nights he spent imagining this, preparing for when Hoji finally came into his senses and realized he was worth more than Ban can offer, but he didn’t account for this--for Hoji’s own brand of impulsiveness and stupidity.

Then it hurt, and Ban should walk away now before Hoji can rub it into his face again--the fact that Ban didn’t even mean anything to him. Ban was insignificant and irrelevant, and soon to be part of a past that Hoji wanted to get rid of. But Ban could never walk away from Hoji.

So Ban punched him instead and watched with satisfaction as Hoji landed hard on the ground.

“Are you fucking with me?” Ban breathed in sharply. 

The Hoji he knew would have stood and punched back harder. This Hoji stayed on the sidewalk pathetically, not even trying to get up, and Ban hated it. Ban wanted to shake him and knocked him out of this nonsense.

But Hoji’s face only crumpled, twisting ugly as he cried hard, wrenching Ban’s heart along with it. Ban fell to his knees and gathered Hoji inside his arms tightly, trying to not feel relief when Hoji clung onto him just as tight--Ban was selfish for making this about him and them when that wasn’t it at all.

This was Hoji falling apart and needing Ban to be the strong sensible one.

Ban held onto him and let hot tears dampened his shirt, brushing fingers in Hoji’s hair. He pressed kisses onto Hoji’s temple and murmured, “I’m sorry, I’m here, let it go, I got you.”

They sat long until Hoji’s misery dwindled to sniffles and silence. 

It must have been even longer before Hoji spoke, hoarse and scratchy, but more sober, more like himself. “This is why I don’t drink ever.”

The dried remark loosened up Ban’s shoulders as he drew back to scrutinize Hoji’s red eyes and running nose under the street light. His chin will bruise tomorrow.

“Well, you can--just--maybe give me a heads up first.” Ban dredged up a small smile, bringing his sleeve up to wipe at Hoji’s face. “I think you took years off my life, partner.”

Hoji grimaced, pushing his hand away to do it himself with a handkerchief, but he allowed Ban to pull him up, holding him flush against Ban’s side. 

“I’m kind of hungry now,” Hoji said evenly, like he wasn’t making life-altering decisions, breaking up with Ban and sobbing his eyes out just now. 

Ban took him to an oden stand that was run by a reformed Alienizer, who didn’t care to pry into Hoji’s disheveled state, and bought him one of everything cooking in the pot. When he tried to sneak a fishcake from Hoji’s bowl, Hoji slapped his hand away, and it almost felt like their normal outing. 

After, Ban sent him back to his room, secretly glad that Hoji returned to base without any complaint, and he hoped that the craziness had ended entirely, and tomorrow morning he’d still see Hoji in briefing, early and focus like he’d always been. 

Hoji lingered in the doorway though and watched Ban with cool eyes. Then he pinched onto Ban’s shirt, tugging him forward as he tilted his head toward the dark, invitation clear.

“Are you sure, partner?” 

“Come inside, Ban.” 

There was no way Ban could say no, not when he was given an opportunity to make sure Hoji would stay. He let Hoji drag him in as the door closed and darkness engulfed them. 

It took Ban a moment to adjust his eyes before Hoji left his side to turn on the bedside lamp. The light was small, but it was enough for Ban to peruse the neat room in curiosity. 

Together or not, Hoji valued his space. This was Ban’s first time in Hoji’s room, and it didn’t look different from Ban’s--windows on one wall, closets, a desk space with his computer, and shelves with files folder lining up. 

But aside from a couple of picture frames and trophies, there wasn’t much of his belonging because that was just the Deka lifestyle, ready to move anywhere as duties call. 

On the bulletin board, there were sticky notes for reminders, a calendar with dates circled, and--Ban couldn’t help the chuckle coming up as he reached for the doodle he’d drawn long ago since the case with Byoi and grandma Hakutaku. 

Hoji had cut the portraits with everyone off, pinning it separately from the drawing of Deka Blue proposing to Deka Red. On the corner, there was his stray ink.

“You kept it,” Ban grinned, feeling Hoji coming up behind him, arms closing around his waist.

Hoji hummed, kissing Ban’s shoulder, hand sliding under his clothes, and stealing Ban’s breaths as he realized Hoji wasn’t wearing a shirt. 

“If this is your apology, then I don’t want it,” Ban swallowed. He did want it. But not like this.

“It isn’t.” Hoji’s lips moved to his neck, and Ban drew in air with eyes closed, feeling self-restraint slipping. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Ban chose to believe him. 

\--

“I asked her to marry me, you know,” Hoji said when they were crammed next to each other on the single bed, dried sweats staining their skin like after a spar. 

“Back on Kaiganmira, before I was transferred, because she made things okay after Vino disappeared.” 

The question was on the tip of his tongue and Ban hated himself for asking, “Do you love her?”

“Yes.” Ban breathed in. “But not like this.” He breathed out.

“She knew me too well though. She said no,” Hoji continued. “Then I’m here, and I don’t know when she came to Earth, but I only found out recently.

“It was nice to see her and talk,” he paused, prompting Ban to turn onto his side and watch him gazing up at the ceiling. The birds outside the window chirped. 

“I didn’t know she was sick.” Hoji shuddered and Ban placed a hand on his chest, to anchor or comfort or something. 

“I didn’t mean it--about quitting--I mean I did write the letter, ever since Vino died--I just hate that I couldn’t save her brother, couldn’t save her, couldn’t save anyone that matters to me--again.” 

Then he turned to face Ban. “Maybe one day I can’t save you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge diverge from canon. Sorry I killed off Teresa. I liked her and her song a lot; it was a sad ep.


	12. 38 Cycling Bomb

EpSum: Ban biked a lock picker down a cliff.

**12.38 Cycling Bomb + Soba (1417)**

Ban’s boxer was blue.

And everybody saw it. Ban wanted to die with mortification.

Hoji wasn’t helping though, laughing along with them and letting Ban reveal their personal life like it was yesterday’s news.

They hadn’t talked about it, about the team or telling them. Because work was work, and Ban thought what they did in their own time wasn’t anybody’s business but theirs. He thought Hoji preferred the privacy as well.

Technically, wearing another Ranger’s color didn’t always mean romantic involvement. It could be a crush, admiration, or in this case, it meant teasing remarks for the upcoming months.

Ban didn’t think there was an anti-fraternization policy because Tetsu sure hadn’t mentioned it. Neither did Hoji. Boss didn’t seem to act like it was a problem. But Ban really was dreading this, ever since Tetsu caught him slipping up. 

He was dreading Umeko’s grin and baby-like coo. “How cute are you with your little crush and blue boxer, Ban.”

Sen was pretty laid-back like always, but even he chimed in, “Should we start giving you things in blue now?”

Jasmine was cool, quiet in her assessment, instead of making weird puns. Ban didn’t doubt he’d be hearing from her soon. In private. With threats.

Something like,  _ hurt him and I will reveal all of your secrets. I won’t even need to use my power,  _ kind of deal. Ban actually hadn’t received a shovel talk before, he was looking forward to it.

Tetsu and his knowing smirk was even more annoying than before, carrying a sense of superiority because he had known first. And now he was open and careless with his teasing and innuendos that were making Ban blush and dig a hole to bury himself in.

And Ban should be glad that they hadn’t gotten any disapproving frown, that their colleagues were kind and accepting, but he wasn’t. Because he knew they would be kind and accepting, he knew they’d be  _ insufferable _ . 

Yaako didn’t understand the fuss, but she was happy either way because they were ordering soba in. She never had Earth’s food before. 

So here they were, piled together in a cafeteria table sans Boss and Swan-san, and everyone, not so subtly, took one side, leaving Yaako next to Ban and an empty spot beside him for Hoji, who was bringing the food in.

Hoji was the worst.

He somehow took it as an okay to go all out with casual touches--a hand on Ban’s shoulder and a ruffle of his hair--and he gave out smiles generously like they were alone. And he was nice between his biting remarks over Ban’s competence, sounding exasperatedly affectionate even to Ban’s own ears.

Ban was used to separating work Hoji and Ban’s Hoji that seeing them merged together was not doing his sanity any good.

It was testing his self-control at the utmost level, and Ban thought he should just kiss Hoji senseless and risk being dumped and get it over with.

Although, he had an inkling that he, not Hoji, was the one who can’t handle the PDA. Flirting openly was one thing, but having their teammates knew how much Hoji had an effect on Ban--he didn’t want to seem  _ whipped _ .

It didn’t help that nobody dared to tease Hoji, so Ban got the brunt of it.

“Cold soba with tempura for everyone,” Hoji returned soon enough.

They dug in, dipping noodles and slurping them then biting on crunchy vegetables and shrimp. It was delicious. 

Hoji was picking the pumpkin off Ban’s plate and exchanging it with the shrimp on his own, and Ban liked shrimp, he wasn’t going to say no. He just didn’t want to look up and faced everyone’s irritating grins.

“So when did this start?” Jasmine asked, starting the topic the lot of them had been dying to broach. It was more of a question to Hoji because Hoji let her get away with more than others.

“Since Genio,” Hoji responded casually, picking up more soba like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“Oh no, I thought it was since Jilvan,” Tetsu added. 

Ban huffed, wanting to contribute only because they were wrong. “It was since Jinche.” 

Hoji raised an unimpressed eyebrow like he wanted to ask,  _ really, you think a peck on the lips equals to investing in a romantic relation with your male colleague? _

“Who started it?” Umeko wanted to know. “Was it romantic--”

“What are you guys talking about?” Yaako pouted, lost in the conversation.

Umeko turned to her too cheerfully. “When an adult love another adult, they--”

Ban slammed his sauce cup onto the table to cover Yaako’s ears. “La, la, la, la, she can’t hear you--” Yaako pushed him away, hanging on Umeko’s every word. 

“They get into a relationship and do things together!” 

“What kind of things?” 

“Eat together, spend time together,” Jasmine said thankfully.

“Slee--” Tetsu stopped when Ban stomped on his foot, wincing. It was a perfect setup when they were across from one another. “So mean, senpai.” There was a child present, and it wasn’t Tetsu.

“But we eat together and spend time together.” Yaako was still confused. “Are we in a relationship?”

“Yes, we’re friends!” Umeko channeled her Umeko-ness at Yaako, and it made their little piggy-turned-butterfly smile. “But Hoji-san and Ban are a bit special.” 

“Hoji and Ban?” 

“Yeah, they like each other more than friends and so they spend even more time together.”

“So they’re in a relationship-relationship?” 

“That’s right!”

Ban turned to Hoji, turning his weapon on full max, and whined. “Partner!”

They were Hoji’s teammate before they were Ban’s, and Hoji better do something or Ban was going to self-combust right here in this spot.

“But I’m surprised Ban was able to keep it low profile,” Sen commented. 

“You would think he’d run around screaming it on top of his lung,” Jasmine nodded. 

“Nah, my senpai is a  _ shy boy, _ ” Tetsu said, attaching the English description naturally. 

That prompted an agreeing grin out of Hoji before he took pity on Ban finally, slapping his hands together to get their attention. 

“Alright, that’s enough, no more teasing Ban, his delicate sensibility can’t take it.” 

Ban scowled at him.

Umeko took that as an invitation to get information from Hoji instead. “Hoji-san, go out with me and Jasmine for ice cream this weekend and you can dish about Ban with us,” she said. 

“It has been a long time since we hung out, the three of us,” Jasmine agreed and that cinched it for Hoji. 

“Right? Tetsu can come too if you put on drag.” Umeko grinned cheekily, still wanting to get back at Deka Break for stealing her precious bath time. But Tetsu only flashed her an unabashed thumb up. 

Ban turned to Sen, the most reasonable one, because he needed backup that Hoji wasn’t providing adequately, but the Green only shrugged. “I am unfortunately not included, being interested in females only.” He meant: it was a girl-talk group apparently. 

Yaako was tilting her head again. 

He wanted to explain to her, but even Ban had to admit that their group dynamic was weird and rather complicated. 

There was the Umeko and Jasmine duo. Then the original trio with Hoji, Sen, and Jasmine. Then the previously-dubbed skirt-chasing men group with Ban, Hoji, and Sen, with the recent addition of Tetsu.

Not to mention that Hoji and Jasmine were basically platonic work spouses, and Ban and Tetsu senpai-kouhai relationship attached them at the hips, while Sen was crushing quietly on Umeko. Now there was the girl-talk group and Ban and Hoji adding to the mix.

“What’s drag?” Yaako questioned. 

That was easier. Ban latched onto the topic with vehemence, flipping out his license to show her the picture of Tetsu with long flowy black hair and a form fitting red dress. 

Everybody laughed as Yaako gaped at Tetsu, her eyes shining because she thought he was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. 

Tetsu was denying, blushing, and Umeko and Jasmine weren’t as offended as they pretended to be. 

Hoji only knocked his knee against Ban’s, leaning on an elbow as he leveled his eyes at Ban--soft around the edges and honest like when they really kissed for the first time. 

His palm was opened, lying on top of his thigh, hidden from the team’s eyes, and Ban didn’t hesitate to cover it, clasping on as their fingers laced together.

Ban thought that he might be in love with Hoji. 


	13. 43 Meteor Catastrophe

EpSum: Hoji and Ban went up to space.

**13.43 Meteor Catastrophe + Curry (1242)**

Three nights in a row, and everything was shaking, and Hoji had fired the cannon; the meteor was still barreling forward. 

“Farewell--”

His heart was beating too loudly even as he tried to calm down, to look for a solution when he knew there was only one way.

“It was fun hanging with you--I wish--” The voice haunted him.

Then the control was locking, and the alarm was blaring, and Hoji pushed against the restraint uselessly. 

“--call me partner--”

He can’t breathe. He can’t see Ban’s face under his suit. 

“--too bad we didn’t have more time--”

He can’t see Ban anymore as the comm shut off, the ship detached, turned and sped away.

He’d prepared to die the day he put on his badge--but he was crying, pleading, shaking in his seat because he hadn’t prepared for this--

“I want you to know--” He had failed again, and the consequence was Ban.

“I love--” Ban disappeared in an orange blast of explosion and static, and Hoji screamed.

On the fourth night that he woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, Hoji gave in and knocked on Ban’s door with a blanket draping around his frame.

He knocked because some part of him didn’t want Ban to open the door and see what his action had done to Hoji.

Hoji didn’t want to guilt Ban to do anything. 

But Ban opened his door in a similar state and well, they didn’t sleep much anyway being distracted by other things. 

Although, his decision proved to be a mistake because when Ban could finally breathe, he rambled.

“Are we really going to have post-traumatic-experience sex from now on,” Ban said. “Because as much as I do like the sex, there seems to be a problematic pattern, partner.”

Hoji groaned, rolling off the bed with exasperation because the afterglow was effectively ruined. “I think I’d prefer if you didn’t talk in bed.” 

“That wasn’t what you said earlier.” 

Ban was obvious in his leer as Hoji bent to grab the discarded pants and shirts. So he rolled his eyes and threw Ban’s shirt and underwear at his face in retort, then shimmied into his SPD sweatpants. He knew what he said. 

Ban was still annoying, and Hoji should walk out, return to his room to search for the much needed sleep. 

He should, only he crawled back to Ban’s bed on his stomach, without a shirt, hugging a pillow as he faced Ban. Because the bed was warm and Ban, living up to his reputation as a fiery Red, burnt like a furnace next to Hoji.

Ban’s eyes were closed and Hoji thought he was drifting to sleep when he mumbled, “Sorry for worrying you, partner.” 

He looked peaceful, unmoving on his back with hands resting neatly on his stomach--like a dead man in a coffin--there wouldn’t have been a body if Ban’s stunt had gone south.

“No, you’re not.” Hoji scoffed.

Ban paused, then agreed. “No, I’m not. I’d do it again any day.” 

Hoji had time to swallow this truth. Ban had done it twice, nothing would stop him from coming and leaving as he pleased next time as well. Hoji wasn’t even angry anymore, just tired and resigned with the fact. 

He tried not to think about his personal failure and how it almost cost Ban’s life, focusing on the fact that he was a bit more prepared for Ban’s ‘next time’--whatever that meant for his emotional state.

“Does the pattern include post-coitus discussion of feelings?” Hoji tried to rein them back on the casual side. 

“Hey now, you started it,” Ban snorted. “I’m just following your lead.”

“If only you could do the same at work, but I know a losing battle when I see it.”

Ban hummed noncommittally when he didn’t want to voice his disagreement. They both knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere.

He would insist that he did follow orders, in which Hoji would cite the meteor mission as a prime counterpoint, then Ban would say that that was a different case--and they would spiral down to meaningless arguments. 

Hoji did himself a favor and switched trains right away.

“Miwa wanted you at her wedding, too.” 

“Well yeah, she did invite me and everyone--”

“No, not as a guest, but as my--” Hoji halted his words. His what? They never bothered to put a label on it. Boyfriend wasn’t quite right, but partner was reserved for work. “As part of her side of the family, in-law with the Kitayama.” He finished lamely. 

Apparently, Miwa only needed to meet Ban once to nod in approval; it was rather disconcerting.

That got Ban to turn to him with big eyes, gaping mouth visible in the dark. “Ehhhh?”

“Do you even own a suit?” Hoji asked. He didn’t get why Ban was surprised because even if he was going as a guest, he would certainly be seated next to Hoji, near the groom’s family. 

Then it wasn’t like Hoji could abandon Ban by himself when he had to carry his duty as the bride's brother. Ban would start trouble in less than ten minutes.

“Miwa-chan wanted me to be her--wait, is that even okay with the other family?” 

“Well, yeah. Obviously.” 

“Obviously.” Ban mocked, then hurriedly added. “I do need a suit, my old one won’t cut it, and I don’t have a tie either--what am I going to do, partner, can I wear my hair like normal, what about shoes, can we match pocket square--” 

“Ban. It’s in six months, you have time.” 

“No, Jasmine and Umeko are already looking at dresses! I want to look good being your arm candy! This means there is no time.” 

Never mind that Ban just referred to himself as an arm candy, this was clearly the wrong time to bring the topic up. Ban was practically vibrating with excitement despite being two minutes from dropping before.

Hoji huffed and fluffed his pillow before twisting to his back. 

“Fine, we can go sometimes on the weekend then, happy?” he said, then resolutely closed his eyes, ending the conversation. 

“Very.” He knew Ban was smiling that self-satisfied smile. “I’m glad I got back then.” 

Hoji could tell Ban tried very hard to find sleep after that, maybe to demonstrate that he could follow Hoji’s will perfectly fine, but he only tossed and turned as Hoji drifted, hovering between awareness and ignorance, and it was distracting. 

Hoji clung on for nearly an hour before opening his stinging eyes in defeat, heaving a long sigh. 

“Want that curry now?” he mumbled, knowing full well that Ban was awake.

“I thought you’d never asked.” Ban pressed his grin onto Hoji’s cheek and hopped out of bed with the energy that Hoji wished he’d possess at two in the morning. 

Hoji cooked him the curry he promised so long ago--one of Ban’s regrets when they were out above the atmosphere--using only onion and potato and the curry roux leftover in the fridge. 

It wasn’t the best he could do, especially when the rice was cooked hastily, but Ban ate three plates like it was top tier comfort food. 

“I can die happily now,” Ban said, sucking on the spoon, and Hoji slapped his head for the insensitive remark. 

He made Ban wash the dishes to apologize. 


	14. 44 Mortal Campaign

EpSum: An Alienizer collected SPD badges.

**14.44 Mortal Campaign + KFC (1043)**

Hoji thought about it a lot. 

Like he had done before leaving Earth to join the Academy, before deciding that sharpshooting was what he wanted to excel at. He considered all the advantages and scrutinized all the drawbacks and made plans for them. 

There was a pros and cons list somewhere under files on his desk, but honestly, he had forgotten about it when Biskes was busy humiliating the Special Police. 

It wasn’t until he was filing the latest report, nursing injuries from the fight that he and more than half of the team shouldn't have participated in, that he remembered. Because Swan-san came to the briefing room with his Christmas shopping.

“I just got these from the medical wing,” she said, placing the items on Hoji’s side of the table and attracting all eyes in the room. 

“Thank you, Swan-san.” Hoji smiled in acknowledgement as she quipped, voice soft.

“Do I need another dress?” 

“No, not anytime soon,” Hoji said casually, flipping onto a new page of his report. “I might need a couple of D-027 form, but that’s still debatable.” 

“Okay, let me know.” She wandered away after giving him a squeeze to the shoulder and a smile that was plenty knowing. 

Boss gave a rumbling growl the same way when he was thinking deeply. “I see. It is that point already.” 

“Is it too soon?” Hoji straightened up, pausing his work because Boss’s opinion was valuable, he’d take it over any pros and cons list hands down. 

“Your judgement is best,” Boss said finally, and Hoji slumped back into his seat. Well, that was helpful. Not. 

“Eh, eh, what are you guys talking about?” Umeko chimed in between her own case files, clearly didn’t understand the purpose of D-027, which didn’t escape Jasmine and Sen’s knowledge.

“I guess you are inspired by your little sister,” Jasmine commented. 

Hoji shrugged, returning to writing.

Sen turned to Umeko with a patient smile. “D-027 is for updating Deka’s personal information.” She still didn’t understand, so he added, “Civilian emergency contact, next of kin, you know, marital status, among others stuff.”

It took her a second before Jasmine helped her out by pointing at her gloved ring finger. 

Hoji rolled his eyes when Umeko gasped loudly. 

“Hoji-san? To Ban?!” 

Just as that moment the door hissed open, and Tetsu and Ban scurried in, carrying large boxes with the KFC logo on it. 

Umeko froze, pressing her hand against her lips like she had given the secret away. She hadn’t. 

Because Ban was oblivious, dropping fried chicken and fries onto Swan-san’s convenient tray table, not seeing how everyone was staring at him. He ordered at the motionless state of the room with a loud clap of hands.

“Alright everyone, work away, it’s time to party now! Working over Christmas Eve is no excuse to skip a celebration--I got us Santa hats.” He pulled one from another bag and placed it proudly on his head. 

“You just want to get out of doing paperwork, senpai.” Tetsu placed drinks beside the food, and ducked under the side door to grab Swan-san.

Ban drifted over to Hoji, piling the opening folders together and no matter how absentminded he was, there was no way he’d missed the stuff laying openly on the surface. Ban got to Miwa’s box first, curiously opened it because nobody was stopping him. 

“Aw, this is cute! Miwa-chan would totally like it.” Ban complimented Hoji’s taste in choosing women’s necklaces.

Umeko and Jasmine were waving around all sorts of hand signals, pointing at Ban and making an abort sign with the X, it really was a wonder how Hoji understood them perfectly. 

Hoji could, hypothetically, use this chance to hide the other box as they were suggesting. Because it had previously intended to be a surprise for Christmas.

But Ban was already picking it up, and Hoji had two more lines of report to write, he didn’t bother to stop Ban.

The room collectively held their breaths as Tetsu and Swan-san returned, freezing the same way despite not knowing what was going on. 

“This one is good too! You’re spoiling her, partner.” Ban grinned, holding out a thick silver band with a blue running groove carved around its middle, and it was as obvious as it can get. Ban tried it on, sliding it onto his right ring finger with a frown. “But isn’t this too big--”

“It’s not for Miwa.” Hoji finished and shut the file. He was aware that everyone was staring and even Tetsu must have caught on as Hoji stood, yanking Ban’s hand to him. 

“It’s for you, and you put it on the wrong hand, idiot,” he said, efficiently pulling it off and not watching Ban’s face. He heard the sharp inhale from Ban when he finally pushed the band onto the correct ring finger. 

It wasn’t silver, his salary couldn’t handle that. But it was stainless steel, strong and sturdy and appropriate for people in their line of work. Hoji didn’t doubt that Ban would take it off, probably would wear it like a necklace if he chose to keep it. 

As much as Hoji acted nonchalant over this matter, he was still a little bit wary of Ban’s answer.

They barely talked about themselves, much less than about things like long-term commitment and marriage. Hoji had no idea where Ban stood, being free-spirited as he was. 

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea after all. Hoji gave Ban grief for being impulsive, but he had to admit it was a trait that they shared sometimes. He chanced a look at Ban’s face. 

Ban was staring at his hand in shock, but Hoji saw it, the red of his ears and how it spread all the way down. He couldn’t help a smile. It wasn’t exactly a no. 

Everyone was knocked out of their stupor soon enough and started in on the food and congratulations. But Ban was still dazed, continuing to hold up his finger even as he was biting onto a chicken thigh.

Hoji gave him two more minutes, then covered his ears much to everyone’s confusion. 

Then a loud scream exploded from Deka Red, and it sounded like it had rang out all the way outside.

“Eeeehhhhhhhhh?!”


	15. 47 Wild Heart, Cool Brain

EpSum: The original Deka Red came to visit.

**15.47 Wild Heart, Cool Brain + Saizeriya (1723)**

The timing couldn’t have been worse, Ban thought as he watched the original trio chatted animatedly with the previous Red, walking ahead and leaving the newbie trio, composed of him, Tetsu and Umeko, trailing behind. 

They were accompanying the Leonian on his quest for souvenirs for his F.S. trainees at the nearby open-air mall. Official reason was protection details, but mostly it was an excuse for Hoji, Jasmine, and Sen to spend time with the man before he had to leave. 

Ban tried not to pout because he was the one who willfully kidnapped the man from his work. Even if it was for a reasonable case-related cause, and it made Hoji happy afterward.

He just didn’t expect a promotion offer, and now Hoji was avoiding him.

Being in Fire Squad surely was a step in achieving his dream, and Ban before all this, would jump at the chance without a sliver of hesitation. 

It just--there was a ring on his finger, heavy with promises of what he could have if he stayed.

They still hadn’t talked about it, somewhat because Ban was still in disbelief and Hoji was still so nonchalant, but mostly because of the New Year’s surging crime rate. 

It was ridiculous, for two people who lived in the same base to have no time. Ban would have pushed for it if he didn’t think Hoji was sleeping less than usual--Ban swore their Blue got in three hours total for the last two nights.

Not that Ban had much more rest, with the doubt that was clinging on his mind regarding the team. He left them once, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do that again.

“What a good timing,” Gyoku-san said, looking pointedly at the Saizeriya they were passing by. “Should we get dinner like the old days? I am craving mentaiko pasta, let me tell you, they had to import seafood to Keroviar and it’s even more expensive than Kobe beef--” 

That got Hoji to glance at Ban with a smile, probably comparing the two of them, before turning away without letting Ban get a word in. They weren’t even that similar to each other, Red or no. 

Tetsu noticed his expression and wound his arm around Ban’s neck. “Senpai, jealousy is unflattering on you,” he said, pulling Ban to a different table as they walked in with Umeko following.

“Cheer up, Ban, you get to spend time with Koume-chan before shipping out, you should be honored.” She patted his arm. “How about today your leader will treat you?” 

“I’m not jealous, but I won’t say no to free food.” Ban grinned, chasing away his discomfort because this was no place for it to rear its head. “I’ll make you regret offering in the first place, leader--”

Umeko looked triumphant at his response.

“Alright, I want a cheese Hamburg steak set and--mentaiko pasta actually sounds yummy, but I also want a pizza--”

“No worries!” Umeko was unfazed, she gave him an okay hand sign. “I saved so much money eating out with Hironobu-kun--ah I mean that trash Mashu--”

Ban grimaced as Tetsu elbowed him-- _ look what you did _ \--and jumped in. “What about me, Umeko-san?”

“Call me senpai and I’ll feed you, too.” Umeko didn’t seem too heartbroken about it anymore, but Ban bet it was still a sore topic. The upside was that she finally noticed Sen’s attention, and everyone was very glad for them.

“Umeko-senpai!” Tetsu said right away. 

Tetsu made it a point to eat off all the older Deka, using his status as the youngest. But nobody minded because his personal spending was used to pamper Swan-san with expensive tea and snacks.

Umeko flipped her hair and preened under her new title as leader and senpai. So she let them order a steak set, pasta, spinach mozzarella pizza, and a clam risotto with full access to the drink bar. 

Of course, the food was split between the three of them, and was finished clean without anything remaining.

All in all, it was freaking delicious--enough to placate Ban’s worries for the night. He expected both of their companies for the rest of the shopping time, but Sen came by to whip Umeko away as they got out of the restaurant.

Ban couldn’t help winking teasingly when she blushed, looking adorably small next to Sen’s towering frame.

He didn’t think it was weird until Jasmine hooked an arm through Tetsu’s and pulled him away from Ban. 

“Gyoku-san wanted to speak with him,” which was normal, expected, but Jasmine winked, and Ban realized everyone was making themselves scarce. 

Hoji was staring at him and looking cool with hands in his pockets. He didn’t have to say anything for Ban to stalk over, pout once again on his face. He guessed they were doing this now.

“Finally decided to talk to me, partner?” 

They started a slow pace behind everyone. 

“Gyoku-san said it’s not nice to propose and run,” Hoji commented lightly. “He scolded me for being stupid.”

“No, it’s not nice at all.” Ban huffed in agreement. “But you’re not stupid. It’s fine to have second thoughts--”

“I don’t have second thoughts,” Hoji cut him off. “Not about you.”

Ban swallowed thickly. Well, that was one worry cleared up. 

“I was just scared that you’d say no with the new promotion--”

“I’m not saying no!” But to be fair to Hoji, he hadn’t exactly said yes either. That was why they had to talk. But both of them were so bad at talking.

“Sorry for suddenly springing it onto you,” Hoji continued. “I gave it a lot of thought since the meteor mission. I guess I should have mentioned it before.” 

The street light turned on as the sky darkened. Everyone headed inside a bookstore while Hoji settled on the bench outside it, leaving a space for Ban. 

But Ban didn’t sit; he finally understood with a startling realization. “Is that what this is about? You’re proposing because I almost died?” 

Hoji had a problematic savior complex, and it tied into his entire identity as a Deka. Well, it wasn’t really a problem because SPD doctors did clear his psych for field duty. And Ban knew about it from the beginning. 

Ban also knew that sometimes Hoji couldn’t handle the loss, and it made him do unusual, out of character things, as proven with the Mikean Clord’s case.

If this was just Hoji freaking out over a little bit of danger that came with the job, then Ban didn’t want it anymore.

“I proposed because I love you,” Hoji said, seemingly to read Ban’s thoughts. Despite being in public, he reached out a hand and tugged Ban down next to him--their knees touching. 

The sudden declaration slipped under his guard and had Ban burying his face in his hands, feeling it heating up while his heart ached for another reason.

“You can’t just say that out loud, partner. You have to give me time to prepare.”

“Think of how I feel, idiot.” Hoji chuckled. He didn’t sound embarrassed one bit.

Granted that when Ban dropped it on him, he didn’t have a chance to be embarrassed because he was in hysteria for a whole other reason.

“Me too.” Ban peeked out under his hands. “You know that right?” Hoji had to know it wasn’t fuel by impending death after all this time.

Hoji ruffled his hair as an answer, ruining the perfectly gelled style, and Ban didn’t even care. 

“Are you sure it’s alright? What about my assignment to Fire Squad?”

That was arguably the second most important thing after Hoji’s declaration of love. Because Ban was still torn and had no clue what to do. 

“I’m not stopping you if that’s what you’re asking.” Hoji looked away. It was annoying because he did it when he didn’t want to acknowledge something.

“But you don’t want me to go either?” 

“Well, my wallet would certainly be happy.” 

Ban shoved at his shoulder. 

“How is it going to work even? Long distance I mean.”

Hoji shrugged, expression still cool, making it even harder to read him.

“No clue. Back to our normal lives until you can come by for an intergalactic booty call?” 

Ban laughed. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Me either.” Hoji grinned, and Ban wanted to kiss him, the public be damned.

“We’ll have to work on our communication,” he said instead, slouching against Hoji’s side, staring out to the open. 

Because even now Ban could barely bring himself to ask Hoji  _ what if you find someone else? What if you don’t love me anymore--what if you can’t wait anymore--what if-- _ and he was sure Hoji was nursing the same line of thoughts. And that was somehow reassuring. 

“Yeah, we do.”

Ban tried to imagine life with only Hoji’s voice and holographic face through the personal comm, and an empty bed that let him sprawl out comfortably. He imagined cooking for one and eating out and turning to tell a joke to someone who wasn’t there. 

“I’m going to miss you like hell.” 

“Likewise.”

But then he also imagined life chasing dangerous criminals across galaxies, saving people all over, and making changes in the universe--life with intense training, discipline, and full of missions back to back, life that demanded Ban to be his best, and he wanted that. 

Ban was selfish, he wanted both--Hoji and the promotion. There was only one choice in the end.

“It’s going to be really hard.”

“Are you backing down?” Hoji turned to him, eyes challenging. 

“Never.” Ban stared back unflinchingly. He was always up for a challenge.

Then after a moment, Ban said. “Ask me again.”

Hoji shifted, kneeling one knee in front of Ban, and Ban still wasn’t used to a Hoji that was so open and free with his affection outside, and every time Hoji surprised him like this, it made Ban breathe hard, elated and flushed. 

It was hard to think that Ban used to make Hoji blush just by getting too close, just for kissing him with no tact. Here they were now. 

They must have been a strange sight, but Hoji asked plainly.

“Want to marry me?” 

“Yeah, I do.” That earned him a pleased smile. 


	16. 48 Fireball Succession

EpSum: Ban got possessed. Again.

**16.48 Fireball Succession + Yakisoba (1189)**

Ban had to do it right because it was the last thing he would teach Tetsu as his senpai. 

That and because he was being judged by cool eyes from behind as he took up space in front of the cutting board. 

“Akaza Kenpo,” Ban said, throwing up an onion, knife flashing in his hand. “Rai Jin Ken!” With practiced ease, his blade cut through and sliced the vegetable into strips, and they fell neatly onto the wooden boards. 

Tetsu clapped heartily, mouth hung open in admiration. He was clad in an orange apron and bird-printed bandana that pulled his bang back. “Whoa! Senpai, that’s so cool! I didn’t know you can do that!”

“Heheh.” Ban flipped a thumb up before handing him a cabbage. “Your turn.” 

“Alright.” He put his notebook down and clenched his fists. “I got this!”

Ban expected him to attempt the Akaza style, then when fail, chop it like normal person, but the kid tossed the cabbage up, his hand flew to the Brace Throttle, revving it up--

“Kosoku-ken--”

“Eh?! Wait--” 

“I will not be the one to tell Swan-san that you guys wreck the kitchen,” Hoji, who had been scarily silent watching them, spoke up. 

His words had Tetsu ceased his Lightning Fist attack last second and caught the falling green vegetable with his bare hand, looking sheepish. It was rather easy to tell Tetsu what to do. Just mention Swan-san.

“Sorry Hoji-san, I got a bit carried away.”

“Idiot!” Ban slapped the back of his head. “You can’t just punch it to pieces!”

Tetsu gave him a sullen look. “I’m just following your example, senpai!” 

Ban would argue that he should have known to use a knife, but Hoji cut in again with a no-nonsense tone.

“Ban. Teach him properly.” 

And that put a pout on Ban’s face. He _was_ teaching Tetsu properly. But he was showing off for Hoji. 

He didn’t think Tetsu’s incompetence in the kitchen ran so deep. Because there was one thing that Ban was wrong about Tetsu, it was that he hadn’t cooked in his life ever, Academy cadet or no.

Lisa Teagle, surprisingly, also suffered through the Tekkan-Mothering syndrome that had taken over all the older women in their base, and that effectively kept Tetsu outside of the kitchen until he transferred to Earth and trailed after Ban like a baby duck.

“You cut it like this--and this.” Ban showed him how to cut the stem off and how to slice it to thin pieces. Then he left Tetsu to it, leaving some carrots and green onions for him to chop as well, and strayed over to Hoji’s place at the counter in the kitchen.

Hoji hadn’t left his side since the mess with Jellyfis and Agent Abrella, choosing to flip through his reports here instead of the briefing room. But he was calm and collected, ever the workaholic, that Ban wasn’t sure if he was going to explode again or not.

Ban technically was dead for a couple of seconds. He didn’t know how Hoji took it because they had been so busy afterward.

Hoji had nightmares for days after the Browgoul case. Ban hadn’t noticed any new one since his fiancé--the term made him lightheaded still--basically took up residence in his half-packed room. 

But Hoji might have had nightmares that Ban didn’t know about. After all, they didn’t deviate from the ‘pattern,’ making the most out of the little time left, and Ban fell asleep, sore and sated, and so out of it every night.

“Do I actually get to eat yakisoba tonight or should we order in?” Hoji said, eyes glued to the file in front. When he turned the page, Ban’s eyes immediately honed in on the bare finger on his left hand. 

He should rectify that soon. Now he only placed a hand on Hoji’s shoulder, thumb brushing his neck, teasing the tension away. 

“Come on, partner, trust us a little.” Ban grinned down at him when Hoji rolled his eyes.

“Don’t call me partner. You’re lucky I’m here to supervise, I wonder what Boss would say, seeing where all of his training goes.” 

“He would say you must invest in the new generation--I keep forgetting to ask him about training Tetsu with the Akaza style.” 

Tetsu didn’t need the extra skills, plenty strong with his Tokkyou background, but Ban wanted to leave him something as he took on the new role as the team’s burning Red, well, the White version.

Ban would train Tetsu himself if he wasn’t leaving so soon.

Hoji must have been thinking the same thing because he exhaled softly, and no matter what he said, Ban’s transfer put him on edge. 

“I’ll let him know if you forget,” he said, looking up; _when you leave_ was implied. 

The frown on his face was the first bit of emotion that came through what Ban suspected was Hoji’s latest attempt to deal with stress--by keeping everything under his professional front.

So Ban ducked his head and pressed their mouths together, chaste because, back turning to them or not, Tetsu was standing there. But Hoji lifted up his hand to Ban’s nape and drew him in deeper, eyes closing, and Ban was lost in the feel of his lips until Tetsu spoke.

“Senpai, please don’t forget about me,” Tetsu said cautiously. 

Ban pulled back, cheeks heating as Hoji cleared his throat, suffering the same fate. 

“I’m going to go put these away,” Hoji said too quickly, gathering up his stuff. “When I’m back, I hope there'll be food.”

Then he fled out of there like a traitor, leaving Ban to deal with Tetsu turning around, grinning broadly.

“Don’t say a word,” Ban said, shoving Tetsu aside to scrutinize his handiwork. 

Before Tetsu could get smart-mouth with him, Ban showed him how to mix the sauce, and how to loosen the noodle in the package up without breaking it. 

The yakisoba was finished and steaming by the time Hoji came back without his uniform. And it was delicious because it was Ban’s No.1 recipe, of course it had to be delicious.

Tetsu got the second serving, and a newly-written recipe in his notebook. 

“Senpai, next time when you come back, I’ll know how to cook more delicious things,” Tetsu said earnestly, and effortlessly settling Hoji with his easygoing acknowledgement. Because of course, Ban was going to come back.

“I’m looking forward to it! I’m sure my partner will teach you all of my favorites!” Ban grinned. 

“Hey, don’t volunteer me more work,” Hoji protested, but both Tetsu and Ban knew he wasn’t really saying no. 

“Hoji-san, I want to learn Swan-san’s favorites,” Tetsu said, starting another round of complaining. 

Ban leaned on his elbow as he watched them. Tetsu was strong, and Hoji was stubborn--Ban had no doubt that they could take care of themselves and each other.

But he couldn’t help the swelling in his throat and how his chest had knotted tightly because it finally hit him; he won’t have this anymore. 

He was really leaving. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically took place after Forever Deka, but it’s more related to Fireball Succession so it was named so.


	17. 50 Forever Deka

EpSum: DekaBase got hijacked.

**17.50 Forever Deka + Bento (1015)**

Hoji cried. 

Ban whipped out the handkerchief inside his suit jacket in preparation because he had expected this.

The ring Ban finally gave him glinted in the light as Hoji grabbed it to dab at the corner of his eyes with as much poise as he could with lips trembling and non-stop sniffling.

They were surrounded by strangers more so than friends, but Ban couldn’t help shuffling his arm to drape around Hoji, fingers squeezing his shoulder in comfort.

Hoji leaned into him minutely as the groom lifted the veil, revealing Miwa, looking stunning in her bridal makeup and flower hairpiece. She put out her hand as her soon-to-be husband glided on a silver wedding band.

The officiant declared, “You may kiss the bride,” and the waterworks beside Ban started up again. 

When they got to the reception hall, Hoji was more put together, no trace of tears and full of confidence as he greeted the guests. Ban’s cheeks were aching from smiling and bowing at strangers from his spot beside Hoji. 

And despite being on a strict schedule, the night felt so busy with them socializing, eating, taking pictures, and making sure everybody who wanted to give speeches could do so.

Ban had no idea how the new Kitayama couple could enjoy their own party with the multiple times the bride and groom had to change clothes. 

He didn’t mind the craziness much--the older Kitayama were nice people and engaged him in conversation over Deka work, and he got to stare at Hoji being dashingly handsome the entire night in his grey tux and dark tie. 

“We should elope, you know,” Ban murmured to Hoji just after they posed for a picture next to Miwa in her kimono. Hoji snorted, but didn’t disagree. 

Anyway, everything winded down early, and Hoji finally slumped onto a chair beside Jasmine, bone-tired. Ban wasn’t far behind.

They didn’t get to hang out with the team the entire night, and Ban felt bad when he was leaving tomorrow. 

“Good work,” Sen said.

“Alright guys, you know what this means?” Umeko said with pink lipsticks and curly hair.

“After party!” Tetsu cheered. His white suit was still impeccably clean. 

“Will you come, Boss?” Jasmine asked, and she and Ban were his favorites, he won’t say no. 

“Swan-san, please come!” Tetsu knew he was _the_ favorite.

Boss glanced at Swan-san for a moment and nodded. “For a little bit.” 

They said their goodbye to the couple, who probably were heading to their own after party--Miwa hugged both Ban and Hoji with a big smile--“Thank you,” she said.

The night was still young, and they went to a karaoke bar on Umeko’s suggestion. 

Ban sipped his drink slowly and watched Tetsu, with his discarded jacket and rolled up sleeves, sang a duet with Swan-san in her white dress.

Boss was also watching them with a smile, and Ban wanted to point it out to him. It was his last night and it wasn’t like the Anubian could assign him extra paperwork and patrol.

He didn’t though, only sear to memory how small Umeko appeared with Sen’s jacket pooling around her as she clapped the tambourine to the beat. How Sen was waving the flash from their SP license like a light stick. How Jasmine and Hoji were huddled over the song picker, his jacket on her laps to cover her short skirt. 

Ban was going to miss them. This team. These people.

It didn’t seem so significant when he returned to Earth for the first time in Patstriker, making a mess of things and butt-heading with all of them.

He didn’t think he’d be leaving with a family that supported him and a man who chose him, loved him, and would wait for his return, whenever that would be.

Ban was lucky beyond belief, and he hoped they didn’t see water welt up in his eyes as he chugged down his drink to blink it back. 

His song came on and Ban stood, slapping on his smile again as he darted toward the front. This was no time to be sad; he will enjoy every last second. 

“From your number one Special Police, Akaza Banban, to everyone in the Earth Branch! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart--” Ban screamed into the mic and everyone applauded like they were in the Budokan. 

_I’ll always be positive no matter what happens_

_With a BANG! I dash ahead, straight as a line_

_Like a red-hot bullet I'll show you my fight_

_Don’t hesitate to call me when you are down or hurt_

_Call me and I’ll be there_

_If you can feel the bond of trust we share_

_We'll be invincible._

\--

“Take care of yourself.” Jasmine gave him a picture frame with all of them, taken at New Year. 

“Here, you never know.” Umeko gave him an abundance of bath supplies. 

“Good luck, Ban.” Sen gave him a blue SPD mug. Everybody signed it.

“Senpai, please eat more than just yakisoba and cafeteria food,” Tetsu said cheekily and gave Ban a cookbook with recipes from various planets. Somehow he had found out Ban’s diet before Hoji. 

Boss and Swan-san enclosed him in a warm hug like parents sending their child off for the next chapter of their life. They let Ban cling onto them longer than appropriate.

“Make us proud.”

Then Hoji lifted up a bento box with red wave-pattern cloth. “For the road.” He placed it on top of Ban’s luggage and gifts. “Call when you can.” 

Everyone was watching, but Ban dared to step in, hand on Hoji’s cheek as he leaned in for a quick peck--just a touch, but it had his heart hammering loudly under his calm facade.

Just like the first time he did it, when he was scared and unsure of what Hoji would do, when he hid nerves behind babbles and made up an excuse to run. 

Everyone pointedly looked away when Hoji hauled him in for a longer, proper one. Their last kiss. For now. 

“See you, partner.” Hoji said under his breath, and Ban grinned. 

“Don’t call me partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it guys. For the show : ) The rest are related to post-series movies. Lyrics taken from the kind soul who translated Ban’s character song on Wiki.


	18. Extra Magical Time

Movie Sum: Earth Branch Deka teamed up with the Ozu family to protect their mother’s magical flower.

**18.Extra Magical Time + Cake (1287)**

“Ten years later, we might have new families already--” 

Called him sappy, but ever since a teammate left the squad for her baby and the entire F.S. branch came to the baby shower, Ban had been thinking about it. Adopting. One day that was. He hadn’t disclosed that though; much less to the most relevant party.

Then Kai whisked out his phone to show the photo of his girlfriend, and she was an adorable girl, that Yamazaki.

And Ban, all hyped up, returned the sentiment by pulling out his SP license to show Kai the picture of Hoji he had stuck on its back; he was wearing the undercover leather jacket that Ban liked.

“Eh?! Hoji-san?” Kai gasped into his hand, and when Ban grinned shamelessly, they turned to look at Deka Blue chatting to Tsubasa, probably about boxing or something alike.

They huddled back, heads close together. “Mine is cuter--” Kai sighed happily, but made no extra fuss as they grinned and giggled and imagined happy, domestic life. 

“But then who is Mari?” Kai asked. Hoji had joked about it in front of them.

“Mari is like my version of what Jasmine is to Hoji--” That got Magi Red even more confused.

Ban laughed, suddenly remembering the parallel with Yaako and everyone on his F.S. trainees team.

“Anyway, Hoji is my--”

Then Tsubasa and Hoji were behind them, shoving them forward, and Kai was teasing his eldest brother’s lack of love life.

Ban was too busy running away from Hoji that he hadn’t realized Tetsu had abandoned his spot next to Hikaru-san.

When Hoji caught him from behind, Tetsu ambushed in the front with cake on his fingers, and a streak of white smeared on Ban’s face, shocking him a full stop. 

First time they'd seen each other in years, and his kouhai had gotten even more impertinent--“Tetsu!” Ban wiped at his face, screaming with indignation and making everybody laugh.

Hoji let him go, looking smug. “That’s what you get for calling me ex-partner.”

Ban turned to him, pout and petulant tone at his tongue. “Because you are ex-partner!” Ban said. “Ex-boyfriend. Ex-partner. Ex.” He attempted a swipe at Hoji’s face with the cream, but Hoji only swerved away, laughing.

His remark drew eyes to them as the Ozu looked on with surprise and curiosity.

Back then, attention like this was enough to fluster him and make him fumble with his words. After spending time--a.k.a. being tease senseless by men who lived in the same barrack as he did, very little fazed Ban now.

There were only so many times he could be embarrassed when his F.S. team wolf whistled at Hoji calling in before it was getting old. The trick was to get them back when their SO called in. It was pretty neat. 

“I certainly hope no love is lost on a family celebration day,” Hikaru-san joked, but Hoji slapped Ban’s head anyway, slightly embarrassed as he gave a curt nod of apology.

“Look what you did. I’m sorry,” Hoji said. “It’s nothing like that--”

“No love was lost here. He’s my husband!” Ban grinned when Hoji corrected automatically. 

“Fiancé.” 

“We eloped to Waiha, you’re not my fiancé anymore--you’re my ex-fiancé!”

“Would you stop with that ex-ex thing, so annoying!”

“Oh, was that where you went when you take that week off in March?” Jasmine asked.

“Really? And I bought a new dress, too!” Swan-san sighed dejectedly. “I was looking forward to it--”

That got him stink eyes from Tetsu and a rumbling growl from Boss because frankly Ban didn’t think Anubian could make stink eyes. 

“I’m sure you’ll get to wear it eventually.” Hoji saved Ban, pointedly looking at Sen and Umeko.

Sen smiled like he wasn’t listening while Umeko was blushing like her uniform.

“Then how about we do it now?” Kai jumped in, pulling Makito with him. “Aniki can officiate it.”

The girls cheered and got on board right away, while the Green Ranger blinked hard, suddenly abashed when he was put on the spot. 

“I guess I can if you want me to?” He gave a small smile. 

Ban glanced at Hoji. Hoji shrugged, so they did it.

Ban and Hoji exchanged vow in front of the Ozu family, who were way too happy about their celebration being hijacked by a couple of gay Special Police.

Their teammates were taking pictures with their SP licenses and having too much fun at an impromptu wedding. 

They pulled out the engagement rings hanging on their necks for the occasion, and cut into a cake that was being eaten by everyone this entire time.

Then he and Hoji shared the piece on Hoji’s plate like tradition; it was a really tasty cake--one layer with strawberry and cream filling--it was more symbolic than anything. 

After all, it was a night about love and family, and they didn’t need fancy suits or multilayer cake or an expensive venue to have that. 

\--

Soon, when things settled back down, the attention around them dispersed, and group conversations started again, Ban dragged Hoji away for a private kiss. 

“When did you think up something that sappy?” Hoji muttered against his lips, questioning Ban’s declaration from earlier. Hoji didn’t believe one bit that Ban could ad-lib it.

_I will support you, inspire you--_

“I may have drafted it in my head for a while.” Ban chuckled as Hoji crowded in closer, licking the corner of his mouth and sucking onto his bottom lip. 

His hand slipped underneath Ban’s uniform, sliding onto his back over his T-shirt, and Ban had half a mind to hope he didn’t pull it free; tugging it back in would be a pain.

_I will be a man you would be proud to call your husband--_

“I like it.” Hoji breathed and nuzzled his jaw when Ban ran fingers in his hair, scratching his scalp and trailing down to his nape, then clutching his shoulders.

They should get back soon, and make sure nobody suspected any embarrassing activity to be occurring. 

_I will come home to you safe at the end of the day--_

But Hoji was nipping onto his neck, drawing Ban’s breath short and causing blood to rush to his head dizzyingly. He leaned harder against the door of the study they had taken over.

_I will love you no matter where I am in the universe--_

“How long until you have to go?” The words traced his ears.

Ban had to swallow hard to find words in his scrambled brain. Hoji had that effect on him.

_One day, I will cook miso soup for you everyday--_

“I have to report back tomorrow night.” 

At that, Hoji backed away abruptly, exposing Ban to cold air where body heat had previously occupied.

_\--and have a family with you,_

Then he expertly fixed his hair and clothes up, looking way too composed for someone who was just feeling Ban up in their new acquaintances’ house.

Meanwhile, Ban was still feeling fainted. It was gravely unfair. 

_\--and grow old together with you._

“In that case, we’ll have time to finish up later,” Hoji said, dragging Ban’s uniform back neatly and fiddling with his collar. 

“You might want to wait until your blush dies before coming out though,” he continued, gesturing to Ban’s face with a smug look. 

_Let’s be happy, Hoji._

Ban scowled. “This is all your fault, you know, I don’t even get this red while drinking.” 

“I know.” Hoji smiled indulgently. “I take full responsibility as your husband.” He wasn’t helping Ban one bit, and he knew it. Ban followed him out of the door anyway.

_Okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diverges from the ending scene of Magiranger Crossover. Makito officiates because why not?  
> I was thinking about this the entire time--
> 
> Ban, introducing Hoji to the Ozu family: This is my ex-boyfriend!  
> Hoji: Would you please stop? I’m his husband.


	19. Before 10 Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops I accidentally wrote plot.

Movie Sum: Ten years after, the dream team got together to solve an old case.

**19.Before 10 Years + Chahan (1826)**

It wasn’t easy. Nothing worth it ever was.

They were two men down, and Ban got a bullet in his right leg that he was starting to lose feeling in.

The medic had staved off the bleeding before attending to their fallen teammates, but they were running out of time even with Mari’s ability.

Mari had blood marring on her face from a gash on her head, looking worse for wear as she pressed her back against the opposite wall, guns raised. She was coated in grimes and sweats as she clung onto the last bit of her energy like Ban. 

Ban knew they had one chance to get this right, especially when they can’t even access their Deka Suits, when backup was too far out for it to matter. Ban caught her eyes and she nodded, their thoughts syncing.

If they didn’t return soon, if they didn’t finish this soon, everything would have been for naught. 

Ban held his guns firm and counted down. Three, two--

On one, they darted out from behind broken concrete, firing bullets and rolling away from lasers, and Ban screamed, tackling the Alienizer they’ve been chasing to the ground and trusting Mari to have his back against the band of Igaroid-grade mecha soldiers.

The air burned like gasoline and hot wind whirled around them, scathing open wounds as Ban struggled and punched and wrestled with aching limbs until he came out on top, magnum’s muzzle pressing against the alien’s chest, heart--it didn’t matter anyway when a Strike-Out will obliterate everything from this distance.

“Where is the chip, Bartolov?!” Ban snarled, shoving extra force onto his pin against thick green scaly neck.

The dragon-like Alienizer smirked with thin lips and yellow slit eyes. “In the hands of people who know how to use it. You wasted your time Fire Squad Captain Akaza Banban--” He coughed up blue blood because he, too, was on the last of his strength from fleeing from Ban’s team. No matter how powerful he had been before.

Special Police Commander Garganian Bartolov had been judged for abusing his status and stealing and selling sensitive SPD information to space mafia, and for multiple accounts of murder and human trafficking of witnesses--

“Let me tell you one thing, there are more of us--and last I heard, we got Hell’s Guard Dog to join--”

\--and he was approved for delete.

Ban didn’t hesitate to squeeze the trigger. Then the world exploded in a fiery burst of orange. 

\--

Ban came to Gyoku-san’s face and relieved sigh. 

“Welcome back,” he said. “Bartolov rigged the place to explode when he died. Probably as an insurance in case his contact was going to double cross him at the pickup point. Thank goodness rescue found you.”

“Mari?” Ban sat up and winced when pain shot to his entire body. Then he realized his leg and chest was wrapped up, and burns and cuts littered his bruised skin. His head was pounding hard and he forced down the urge to throw up with pure will. 

“She’s fine, knocked on her head and suffered some facial wounds, but she’ll be back on her feet soon enough.” 

“What about Romich and Vexon--” Ban swung his legs over the bed in Fire Squad medical, and froze when his commander shook his head, blonde hair falling over his face.

“Noro got to them. He was a traitor. We found traces of his work in disabling the Suit System.” 

Ban heaved in disbelief breath--his teammates were dead, was a traitor--this was his fault, if he didn’t send Noro back to Romich and Vexon, they might have been alive.

He bit his lips and tasted iron, fists clenched tight on his knees because it wasn’t supposed to be like this, everything was so wrong even when they got the bastard. Where was the justice in this?

“Banban, I’m putting a different team on this case.” 

At this, Ban whipped up in indignation and he stood despite the sharp sting erupting everywhere, blinding his vision with white spots.

“No! Bartolov wasn’t the end--I have to--” He stumbled as he tried to take a step, and Gyoku-san caught him.

Ban’s eyes widened, and he hurried to grip onto the metal tab that was pushed into his hand.

“You failed to procure the chip holding SPD information, two of your teammates are dead, your medic is in containment for interrogation while you and your Second are in no condition to fight anyone, so tell me, Captain, with what team will you go chase down Bartolov’s contacts.

“You’re off the case until I say otherwise.” Gyoku-san settled him back onto the bed, and their eyes met long. 

“Go home to your husband. Get yourself healed. This is an order.”

Ban received his message clearly, “Roger.” 

\--

Hoji greeted him at the dock bay with dark bags underneath his eyes. The situation wasn’t too good on Earth either. But before he could lead Ban back inside, Ban shook his head. 

“Not on base,” he muttered, and felt something loosened in his chest when Hoji understood right away, focus sharpened as he nodded.

They went to the house that Miwa lived in before getting married. Small, two stories, but enough for a bedroom upstairs with a living room, kitchen and bathroom downstairs. 

“Woah, so this is your home before DekaBase huh, partner?” Ban put on a smile as Hoji turned on the yellow light and tossed the key onto the shoe counter. 

“So we’re back to being partners now?”

“I was only joking before, you really can’t let it go, can you?” He babbled as Hoji helped him settle down onto tatami flooring against the table in the living room, opening the window to let cool air of the late night flooded in. 

Then Hoji brushed his thumb below the scabbing on Ban’s cheek, eyes too aware as he dredged up a smile of his own.

“You hungry?”  _ Don’t try that with me, I know you. _

Ban’s smile slipped away and he nodded mutely, watching Hoji stood, stripping his jacket and making noises in the kitchen.

It almost felt like the first time--when everything was fine, and Ban’s top concern was the state of his throat. 

“I got leftover groceries last time I came here, lucky for you,” Hoji said, filling up the silence when Ban was unable to.

“Miwa had been back to dust this place, too.” Ban closed his eyes and let his Hoji’s voice wash over the tension in his body. “She’s expecting twins this time, can you believe it?”

The metal tab was a USB. In there was a case file on the SPD top brass they had uncovered to have had dealings with criminal--Eruvian Messia, Garganian Bartolov, both were destroyed by his team, and the latest, Anubis Doggie Kruger. 

There was also information on potential suspects with ranks from Commander all the way to Commissioner. 

“I’m tasking you to conduct your own private investigation on all personnel included in this brief,” Gyoku-san had said in the recording. “You are officially on a medical break in your home planet. Unofficially, you will only report to me. Expect no backup. 

“Teagle and I will comb through our rank for other infiltrators, we don’t know who or where they got to, so operate with the entire Special Police as your enemy. Don’t reveal yourself needlessly. 

“Your order is to gather all necessary evidence for judgement. If you have to shoot, do it at the root. It is unacceptable for them to continue their crime within our force. 

_ It is unacceptable for them to besmirch Boss’s name this way. _

“Find them. Bring them to justice. Got it, Captain?” 

“Ban--” A hand shook him, and Ban jerked awake to see Hoji’s towering over him in a blue apron. 

Hoji placed a plate of chahan onto the table and knelt to the floor beside Ban.

“Smells amazing,” Ban stretched the tightness out of his limbs. The first bite of fried rice made his chest ache because it was the first good thing that happened lately. “It’s delicious,” he said, shoveling more rice into his mouth.

“Of course, it’s perfect.” Hoji ruffled his short hair. 

Ban had cut it off to remind himself of his shortcomings in this mission. 

He knew Hoji had questions, but it wasn’t until when Ban was coiled into Hoji’s side that he told Hoji about all the reasons why his heart was blistering--words muffling against Hoji’s chest when Hoji turned to hold him tight.

He told Hoji how close he was to giving up because for the first time, he was so tired. 

Hoji listened, rubbing a warm hand on his shaking shoulder as they lied in the darkness, sleep eluding and time ticking too slowly.

After a while, Hoji spoke.

“You know, Tetsu became acting-commander, and he felt so grown up that you wouldn’t think he was our Tetsu.

“He transferred Swan-san back to Cigno--she’s working on decrypting technology privately.

“Sen and Umeko aren’t believing it, they’re alternating between holding vigils by Boss’s side and following their own leads. 

“Jasmine is getting married next month. But she’s staying until two new Deka can get here at the end of the year. Holding down the fort.

“Everybody isn't giving up, it’s because of you Ban. They believe that justice will prevail because it was you who inspired that.

“There’s no way that Boss could have done this, we have to keep going for his sake.”

Ban breathed deeply. “You’re right,” he agreed at last and pushed them far enough to find Hoji’s lips. “I’m being sent undercover,” he sighed when Hoji kissed him faintly. “I don’t know when I can come back.

“It’s related to Boss’s case, and I’m technically on medical break on Earth,” Ban rolled until he was atop Hoji, hands brushing his cheeks, tracing the aging lines and edges of Hoji’s face to his memory.

“So my official reason for not seeing you after tonight is because we’re ‘separated,’” Hoji got it instantly, and let Ban kiss the corner of his mouth as an apology for such a cover story.

“You should be careful, too, if they know you’re poking too far--”

“My clearance will be revoked and next thing you know your ex-husband is in containment for treason, right?” 

“Separated isn’t the same as divorce.” Ban frowned down at him before Hoji flipped them over.

“That’s not the point here,” Hoji chuckled onto his ears, kissing down to his jaw. “It’s fine--I’ll just act a little crazy. Should I stop them as well?”

“Tell Sen-chan,” Ban combed fingers onto Hoji’s hair. “It’s suspicious if Umeko stops questioning it. He’ll keep her out of trouble. Tell Jasmine I’m sorry that I’ll miss her wedding.” 

“Roger.” Hoji brought their mouths together, breathing and talking and kissing-- “It’ll be okay, Ban.

“We’ll make it through this. All of us.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place just after the incident, prior to the start of the movie. I have to confess that I’ve only seen Full Blast Action once. But Mari is cool, so I promoted her to F.S. and I’m a sucker for platonic married male-female relationship.


	20. Gavan Extravagant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got cavities writing this. I’m also lactose intolerant and the cheese destroys me. Hope you enjoy if you read this far.

Movie Sum: Space Sheriff Gavan interrupted Umeko and Sen’s wedding for a case.

**20.Gavan Extravagant + Karaage (2536)**

There got to be something wrong with him.

For thinking that Ban firing off the Giga Magnum was attractive. They were in the middle of a fight for goodness sake. And now they were among companies, Hoji should really stop thinking about it.

Even if it had been an awfully long time since they got time together.

After they cracked the case with SPD corruption wide open, exposing at least another handful of Commanders along with Commissioner Kight Reidich, Ban was off to his next mission right away. 

Hoji didn’t know anything about it because F.S. reports were kept hushed-hushed during the information lockdown that Headquarters was implementing.

Rumors had it that the Tokkyou, both white and red, was conducting an internal investigation on all SPD personnel to flush out underlings of the deleted high-ranking officers.

But with the joint investigation with the Galactic Union Police in the Mad Gallan case, Ban was here, laughing and drinking with Gavan, oblivious to the state of Hoji’s feelings even when the entire Deka team gave him amused grins.

He sorts of understood why Ban hated the teasing back then. 

It was almost deja vu--seeing Gavan ordered a ridiculous amount of karaage for his assistant Shelly, and their entire group. It was an eating challenge; if they could finish this mountain of fried chicken in an hour, then it would be free.

Despite how optimistic the Space Sheriff was, Hoji didn’t think they could when Shelly was smiling more than she was eating. And Umeko, who was usually their powerhouse, still needed to fit in her wedding dress for the ceremony redo.

Sen maxed out on the fifth bite; his stomach didn’t agree too well with fried food.

Tetsu was going strong, but Jasmine was abstaining, something about waistline after giving birth, Hoji wasn't quite listening.

Hoji was too busy reining himself against Ban’s wandering hands because Ban was drinking more than he was eating, and he was really touchy feely when he was drunk, which was not helping Hoji’s mind getting out of the gutter any time soon.

His arm slung on Hoji’s shoulders when he and Gavan clang another beer together, oozing camaraderie like they belonged to some brotherhood of hotheaded leaders.

Ban hid it well, underneath hard-won battlefield experience, but Hoji didn’t doubt he operated with his heart more than half of the time. 

“So, this is your famous husband?” Gavan slurred, and his arm was also around Shelly. They mirrored each other too much.

“Famous?” Tetsu questioned before Hoji could get the word out. He was razing through a third of the chicken plate.

Suddenly, the team’s focus veered to the conversation between two drunk men.

“I didn’t take you one for office gossip, Geki--” Ban frowned, then his cheeks flushed red, and he grinned drunkenly, nodding with enthusiasm. “Nice, right?”

Hoji slapped his head, just hard enough to get his point across. But he didn’t have the heart to push Ban off and put a stop to the excessive clinging. 

“Don’t speak nonsense,” he ordered, making Ban pouted, bottom lips protruding and if they were alone, Hoji would have bitten it and made Ban regretted--anyway, there were people, they were in public, Hoji had to halt the train of thought.

“Shelly is cuter--” Gavan said with a decisive nod. 

“You know, Magi Red told me the same thing--” 

“That Shelly is cuter?! Who the hell is Magi Red and how does he know Shelly--”

And it devolved into Ban failing to explain about Kai and Gavan not listening one bit. 

Shelly was impervious to their antics, however, as she turned to address Tetsu’s concern and most of the table. 

“Banban-san’s romantic marriage is well-known even in the GUP--” She glanced at Hoji with a sheepish smile. 

Hoji pinched his nose bridge, not sure if he wanted to know what was so romantic about long-distance-married to a special squad Captain, who only saw him a couple of times a year for a sexcapade. 

Granted that the god-it’d-been-so-long-I-fucking-miss-you sex was so much better than the post-traumatic-experience sex, it still can’t be considered romantic in any form. But Hoji wasn’t going to bring that up to argue. 

There was only so much PDA he could stand after all. And he needed to stop thinking about sex and Ban in the same sentence. 

Umeko sighed, “How nice, I want to have a space-famous marriage, too.”

“I don’t think I’m joining Fire Squad and traveling the universe anytime soon.” Sen denied right away. 

“Nonsense. Senpai blushed all the way to his neck every time I teased him about it, no way he’s bragging--” Tetsu finished half of the plate already. Maybe they could do it within the hour.

Gavan and Ban waved the waitress for another round of drinks, but Shelly and Hoji, almost in sync, swatted their attempt and asked for water instead.

They shared a commiserating look when the two whined and got distracted, then argued again about who-knew-what.

“Ban has loose lips when he’s drunk,” Hoji conceded the point. 

“Oh you would know, wouldn’t you?” Jasmine winked, and Hoji rolled his eyes at her.

That wasn’t what he meant and she knew it. Tetsu gave her a high five for it. It seemed that they had been colluding. His ears were heating up either way, and he drank his tea to calm down.

“We’re actually pretty short-staffed,” Shelly said, saving Hoji because they were allies now, members of the sober-and-rational club. “SPD F.S. trainees come help us sometimes, and they talked--how Captain Ban’s husband called him in the morning every day.”

That was a grave untruth. Hoji only called when Ban was off mission--which was, like, never. When Ban was in the trainees squad, there was more time to talk, but it wasn’t every day. More like every week, but still.

“How Banban-san stared at the back of his license before and after mission like a ritual, and sometimes he sighed forlornly--it’s awfully endearing--”

Hoji didn’t know that. He was storing that piece of information for later. 

“How they eloped to Waiha when they were young and spent their second honeymoon on Marivel for months--” the resort planet. 

They were there for two weeks. Ban got roped into helping with a case for half of it. The other half was great though. But these gossips were clearly inflated.

“How was that? Umeko and I are still deciding between Marivel and Fora Fora--”

“Sen-san, that isn’t the point! What else do they say, Shelly-chan?”

Shelly giggled. “That they are a cross-galaxies couple who dedicated their lives to duty--an epitome of love within the Special Police. Or something along that line--”

Ban, done with his latest nonsensical conversation with Gavan, turned to him and propped his chin on Hoji’s shoulder, somehow catching onto their topic.

“It’s okay,” Ban assured him with a sleepy smile and a conspiratorial whisper that wasn't much of a whisper by Hoji's ear. “They don’t know that I sleep in your hoodie because I miss you so damn much--it doesn’t even smell like you anymore.

“And that I kissed the ring you gave me because you aren’t there, and it only helped like half of the time,” he muttered, words fusing together almost incoherently honest. 

“You know, I automatically calculate the time difference to Earth whenever I land on a planet, even when I can’t call you anyway. Your voice is so nice and it’s my favorite thing...” then he trailed to silence, dozing against Hoji while Hoji’s entire being was burning.

Gavan was dropping to the table in a similar state, jolting everyone from the ordeal as Shelly, who was blushing from second-hand embarrassment, quickly helped him up. 

Tetsu stopped eating, mouth gaping in shock. “Can we redo that, I wasn’t ready to record--”

“Loose lips indeed.” Umeko held onto her cheeks. 

“I don’t want that much information about my teammate’s love life, but it’s sweet, I will drink to that,” Sen said, and he was the calmest one out of them as he chugged his beer by himself. 

“Hoji, just so you know I’m never letting you live this down.” Jasmine fanned her face. 

Hoji buried his face into one hand and made sure Ban won’t topple over with the other.

He was afraid to even look outside of their table. Ban’s declaration wasn’t loud but there was no way that people missed it completely.

“I think I need to drink to deal with this,” Hoji said against his palm. He wasn’t going to drink; one of them had to be the sensible one.

“You need to eat chicken because we’re almost out of time,” Tetsu took a picture of them anyway. “What? Swan-san said she’d never seen you blush--I can’t wait to tell her--”

“How about I pick up the check tonight, and we’ll agree not to mention this ever again?”

Umeko said right away. “Done.”

Shelly nodded vehemently.

It was kind of adorable how they both got flustered by Ban. It was probably not adorable that Hoji was doing the same thing. How many years had they been married now?

“I like free food as the next man,” Sen added, he wasn’t one for office gossips.

“Sorry, that’s a negative.” Jasmine waved her finger in a ‘nonsense’ gesture. “You normally paid for me anyway, I’m not worry.”

Hoji groaned. “See if I do that next time.”

“But I think it’s nice,” Shelly said. “To have someone who love you so much.”

“Right?” Umeko smiled at her; she was definitely holding Sen’s hand under the table. Hoji debated on calling her out, but he didn’t think they both could get any redder.

“Did you know that Hoji-san proposed to senpai in front of all of us?” Tetsu resumed demolishing chicken, clearly siding with Jasmine on the matter despite eating Hoji’s hush money. He was on his sixth beer, but looking unaffected as ever.

Shelly blinked owlishly. “I think this is insider knowledge--it might be cheating for me to know because there is a betting pool.”

“There’s a betting pool on us?!” Wasn’t that a thing before a couple get together?

“F.S. and Tokkyou think it’s Banban-san who proposed,” Shelly dished. “I think our Director is banking on Hoji-san being the one.” How could space police had this much time on their hands--

Tetsu grinned in glee. “It’s fine I’ll tell you anyway.”

Ban was stirring on his shoulder, and Hoji grabbed the water right away for him to sip.

“Are we still here?” He rubbed his face against Hoji’s uniform, mumbling and whining. “I was hoping we’ll be home by now and I can have my way with you.” It was nice that Ban still considered their DekaBase as his home home, but he really should stop talking.

Before it can come out that Hoji had to propose a second time. On his knee. In public. No matter how inconspicuous they were being.

“Yeah I think it’s time for us to go,” Hoji said resolutely.

“You know, it doesn’t help that you leave as soon as he said that,” Jasmine teased because of course, being the closest to them not engaging in the current proposal gossips, she heard everything.

“I never teased you about Hikaru,” Hoji commented.

“Then you missed your chances.” She smiled. “Get him back. I’ll grab the check, and I’m sure between Sen and Tetsu, we can wrangle Gavan back to base.”

“Thanks, Jasmine.” Hoji flashed her a grateful smile. No matter what she said, she was still his favorite.

Ban was awake when they left, but he was more aware when they got back. He plopped onto the single bed and sprawled out all by himself in bright red limbs that clashed against Hoji’s blue sheets.

Hoji had to slide off his boots and undid his belt. “Clothes off.”

Ban grinned even when he knew what Hoji meant. He unzipped his uniform obediently, revealing a black regulation tank, but he stopped there, forcing Hoji to coax him out of his jacket and tug his pants away.

“Sorry, I wanted to spend some time with you tonight,” Ban said when Hoji ditched his own uniform and pushed him to one side, making room for himself and his laptop. “But I got carried away--”

Hoji flicked his forehead, then started to write up reports for the day. “So you do know.” But Hoji wasn’t mad, it seemed such a waste to be needlessly angry when they didn’t have that much time together.

Ban’s red license rang, freezing them both. Ban cleared his throat and reached for it on the bedside.

“It would suck horribly if I have to force detox to drive back,” he said before flipping it open, voice clear and strong, sounding like a F.S. Captain instead of Hoji’s drunk husband. It was mildly impressive how quick he could switch gear while inebriated. “Akaza.”

“Banban,” Gyoku-san voice came out. “I heard from Sophie you’re finishing up a case with Gavan on Earth?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mari and I are done here as well. Your presence isn’t required until the briefing on Monday.”

Was Hoji hearing this correctly?

“Seriously? Thank you, Gyoku-san.” Ban understood his meaning. It was only Tuesday here.

“You did good work with your intel. We agree you deserve some time off--tell Hoji I say hi.” Then he hung up without needing for a confirmation.

Ban turned to Hoji with a victory sign. “Want to go for a third honeymoon?”

“The wedding redo is this weekend, idiot.” Hoji whapped him with a pillow. “And I can’t take off work so last minute.”

Ban shuffled back, laying on his side and draping his arm on Hoji’s waist, blocking the keyboard annoyingly.

“Then we can do it here, let’s go to the house,” he said when Hoji shifted to pile the laptop on his arm, resuming typing. “I’ll be your kept-husband while you go off to chase criminals--we’ll eat together every day, I’ll cook--I’ve been learning.

“Then we’ll have mind-blowing sex at night when I’m not batshit drunk and you’re not working overtime--maybe we can fly out to Waiha early, relax for a bit before the wedding, just the two of us.”

“That sounds nice.” Hoji agreed. “Think you can manage to stay away from cases for a week though?”

Ban squinted up at Hoji. “Probably not.”

“I thought so.”

“But I can help with cases _and_ be your kept-husband, it’ll be just like before--we’ll be partners on the streets and in the sheets.”

Hoji choked out a laugh. “I think that topped ‘intergalactic-booty-call.’” He had to close his laptop because he wasn’t getting anything done. 

“Nothing topped ‘intergalactic-booty-call,’” Ban chided as Hoji snorted, scooting down onto bed to receive Ban’s octopus-like cuddle with arm and leg swinging over his body.

He pressed a clumsy kiss onto Hoji’s cheek. “Actually, I like intergalactic-marriage better.”

“Me too.” Hoji smiled and closed his eyes.


End file.
